


The Night the Walls Fell in Paris

by rkjm12



Series: Love At First Sight [1]
Category: Scarecrow and Mrs. King
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:29:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 37
Words: 57,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27408838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rkjm12/pseuds/rkjm12
Summary: Time Frame: After the 1st SeasonFor this story, I have taken the liberty to make Jeannie a retired Agent, and Lee already has his corvette.This story is AU, but the characters are in cannon (for the most part) and are based on the fact that I believe Lee and Amanda are soul mates and fell in love a lot sooner than the show portrayed.  I am a firm believer in love at first sight; after all, I’ve been living it for the last 26 years.Thank you very much to Tracey and Samella for being my beta readers.  Your help truly made my first experience an awesome one!!!What if Amanda didn't wait for Lee?
Series: Love At First Sight [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2161932
Comments: 10
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Agency Conference Room

"Alright, alright, everyone settle down so we can get this finished and start our weekends," Billy commanded, as he tried to get his team's attention. Finally, his team settled down and were listening attentively. "Now, the last thing I want to talk about is that it is time again for the IIOC."

All heard a series of groans and moans in attendance. Francine practically yelled at Billy, "No way, Billy, I went last”---Billy held up his hand to stop Francine's rant. "I know Francine, you went last time, and you as well as Wilson, Harrison, and Franklin are exempt from this year's Conference.”

All four started to relax and look around the room to see who would get the great pleasure of attending this year. Billy looked down at his paperwork and began, "Okay, let's see who’s next on the list to attend. Hmmm, Beaman, Fielder, Johnson.” Billy paused and smiled. He lifted his chin and added, “and Stetson.”

Lee blurted out, "Come on, Billy, why can't you send a rookie agent in my place? These things are always so boring and useless. I don't know why they are required. Not to mention, they’re always in locations that are, shall we say, less than ideal. Where was it that you went last time, Francine?” Lee tapped his finger to his chin as he thought back, “wasn’t it Istanbul?"

"Now, Lee, you know we have a rotation set, and it IS your turn," Billy stressed. "Now, with that being said, since it is required that the Section Chiefs must attend at least one of every three conferences, and I didn't go to the last two, I will be making some changes to the rotation.” Lee started to smile as he thought Billy was taking him out of the rotation. Billy continued, “I will be taking the place of Johnson.” Lee’s smile immediately faded. “And since Jeannie has been begging me for a vacation, she will be taking Fielder's place."

Amanda sat quietly during this whole back and forth, trying to figure out what was going on and what the heck the IIOC was. She was looking at Lee, trying to will him to calm down and relax as Billy continued, "Now, Lee, since you suggested that a rookie agent can go to this convention, I will also be sending a rookie in place of,” Billy paused for effect, “Beaman." Lee let out another moan that just made the smile on Billy's face even more prominent.

"And who would this rookie be, Billy?" Lee challenged.

"Well, I’m glad you asked Scarecrow. The rookie taking Beaman's place is no other than your partner, Mrs. King".

Amanda's head shot up when she heard her name and looked at Billy then to Lee. "She is not my partner Billy, and that is not what I meant by a rookie," Lee shouted.

Looking over at Amanda and seeing the hurt and anger forming in her eyes, Lee quickly backtracked. "Uh, sorry, Amanda, that didn't come out like I wanted it to." Amanda just smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

Billy ignored Lee's comments and looked at Amanda. "That is if you think you can get away for the convention Mrs. King?”

Amanda looked back up to Billy and questioned, "Well, Sir, I will need a little more information before I can answer that. Like, how long will we be gone? When will we leave? What is required of me? Oh ya, what the heck is IIOC?” Amanda smiled awkwardly with the last question.

Billy smiled and attempted to answer her questions. "The conference is three weeks long. We will be leaving in two weeks. You will be required to attend meetings as well as demonstrations of new products. The IIOC stands for International Intelligence Operative Conference, and it is held every three years. Did I get them all?"

Amanda shook her head, yes. "Three weeks is a long time, Sir. When do you need my answer?"

Billy said, "If I can have it by Monday, that would be great. That will give you the weekend to talk it over with your family."

"Wait a minute!!” Lee interrupted. “How come she gets a choice, and I don't?"

"Because she has a family that has to be taken care of while she's gone, and as you continue to remind us as well as her, she is not a full-time agent." Billy smiled and thought; I just love it when I can throw Scarecrow’s own words back at him. "Now, if that is everything, I will adjourn for the week, and we can all get our weekends started."

Francine interrupted the commotion of everyone getting up to leave. "Hold up, Billy, you never told us where this year's conference is being held. You can't deprive us all of the information about where you all will be held up for three weeks."

Billy smiled and answered, "Oh, did I forget to mention that? Well, this year's conference will be in Paris, France! Lee, Amanda, can I see you two in my office?" Billy walked out without giving Francine any time to respond.

Francine was speechless, and her mouth was wide open. "Paris, France!!! I had to go to Istanbul, and you get to go to Paris!! How is that fair???"

Lee walked by with a smile on his face and said, "Close your mouth Francine; it's not very becoming of you." Amanda followed Lee out the door with a smirk on her face but soon looked away and stared at the back of Lee's head when she saw Francine glaring at her.

Billy was sitting at his desk when Lee and Amanda arrived. Amanda sat down in the chair in front of Billy's desk while Lee leaned up against the window, waiting for Billy to start. "Lee, please close the door," Billy stated. Lee walked over, closed the door, and returned to the window. "Now I wanted to talk to you two alone to go over the specifics of our trip. As I mentioned, Jeannie will be joining us for this one. She has been on me for a while that I am always leaving her at home. So I thought this would be a great time to take her with me." Billy saw the strange look on Amanda's face and explained further. "Amanda, Jeannie is a retired agent. We worked together before we started dating, while we were dating, and while we were married. Only did she retire when we had our first girl. It was her choice, I was all for her continuing her career, but she didn't want that."

"I wasn't aware of that, Sir. Since she is a retired agent, she has the clearance to attend the conference." It was more of a statement than it was a question.

"You don't need any special clearance to go to the conference; you just have to be or have been an operative at one time," Billy explained.

"Is Jeannie excited about the trip?" Amanda asked.

"Yes, she’s thrilled, Amanda. Even more, when I told her who was going with us," Billy proudly stated. “Now, Amanda, do you think you will be able to be away from your family for that long?"

"It shouldn't be a problem, Sir. The boys will be out of school in three weeks, so Mother will only have to worry about the last week. Nothing huge happens in the last week of school anyway. And the other two weeks, the boys will be starting baseball practice, but they won't have any games until I get back. The only thing that would be a problem is if Mother has any appointments that we can't work around."

"Amanda, if it is going to be an issue, I'm sure Beamon won't mind taking your place. You know, three weeks is a long time to be away from your family. Plus, you probably don't even have a passport." Lee stated, very coldly.

Amanda tried to keep her cool through Lee's statement but was not having very much luck. Then his last statement registered with her. "Lee's right, Sir!!” A grin grew on Lee’s face, as he thought he had talked her out of it. Amanda smiled, knowing what Lee was thinking, then proceeded; “I don't have a passport, Sir. Will I be able to get a passport before we have to leave? I know those can take a while to get." Lee’s smile grew even more prominent.

Billy just smiled, "As soon as you started working for the Agency, we filed for your passport.” Billy reached into his desk and pulled out her passport to hand to her. “You already have one!" A huge smile appeared on both Billy and Amanda's face while Lee’s smile disappeared.

Feeling like he just lost a prize fight, Lee stood up from the windowsill he was resting against and proceeded to the door. "If that’s all, Billy, I think I’m heading home. I have a hot date tonight, and I would like to get it started as soon as possible."

Not noticing the disappointment on Amanda's face, Lee opened the door and left the bullpen. However, her disappointment did not go unnoticed by Billy. "Amanda, are there any other questions that you have for me?"

"No, Sir, but will you be available for a phone call if anything comes up over the weekend?"

"Absolutely, Amanda, just call the regular number, and they will get you in touch with me. Have a good weekend. And I'm sorry about Lee."

"It's not your fault, Sir. It is Lee we are talking about. Have a good weekend." With that, Amanda got up and headed to her desk to collect her things and head for home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

4247 Maplewood Drive

Amanda arrived home to find an empty house. She was glad no one was home since she was so upset about the way Lee reacted. Yes, his reaction wasn't as bad as it has been in the past, but it was the last straw. She was so upset that she cried the whole way home. She didn't know why she cried. However, she knew that she was in love with Lee, and there was nothing she could do about it. Yes, he infuriated her, and he was extremely rude at times, but there were times when he was the kindest, most considerate man she’d ever known. She could tell that the façade he showed was more of his reputation than who he truly is. Now she had to spend three weeks in Paris with a man she loves that doesn’t love her back. How was she going to do this? She couldn’t, so she decided she would tell Billy that it just wouldn't work, and she would have to decline the invitation. She would use her family as an excuse. He would accept that.

Suddenly the front door opened, and Dotty came in with her hands full of bags of groceries. "Mother, I didn't know that we needed any groceries. I could have stopped on my way home. You didn't need to take a cab to get them."

"Oh, don't be silly, dear, I am very capable of taking a cab to get a few groceries. It was no big deal. However, I can't wait until I pass that stupid driving test, so I don't have to worry about that anymore."

"Well, let me help you put them away," Amanda replied.

Dotty watched as Amanda went through the routine of putting away the groceries, but she could tell that something was wrong with her little girl. After about five minutes of watching her, she had had enough. "Amanda, is everything alright? You don't seem like yourself. Did you have a bad day at work?"

Amanda laughed to herself, "If it only were a day, that would be nice." Realizing that she said that part out loud, she waited, hoping that Dotty did not hear that. She would not be so lucky.

"Amanda, what are you talking about? I thought you liked your job. You said it was so much better working with people than it was with animals."

Amanda laughed again. "Sometimes, I wonder if that were true, Mother."

"Alright, we are going to nip this in the bud right now. Come over here and sit on the couch and let's talk this out."

"Mother, I don't want to talk about it. Can you please just drop it?"

"No, we cannot drop it. If this 'something' has you bent out of shape, it will not get better if you keep it all inside you. Now come over here and tell me what’s wrong. You used to tell me everything, Amanda. We have always been able to be honest with each other."

Amanda thought about that for a while. She’s right; I have always been able to talk to her about anything. But I can't tell her about Lee and the Agency. That will bring up a whole new can of worms. Buuutttt, I could tell her about Lee?? Right then and there, Amanda was done with the lies. At least when it concerned Lee. "You're right, Mother. I have always been able to talk to you about anything. Would you like anything to drink? This may take a while."

“Yes, dear, that would be great. How about some iced tea? You know, just like when you were little. We would sit at your little table and chairs your Daddy got you, have tea parties, and chat about everything,” Dotty replied.

Amanda smiled at the memory and walked into the kitchen to grab the drinks. When she returned to the couch with two iced teas, she took a deep breath and sat down. Not knowing how this would go, she took a moment to get her thoughts in order. She didn't realize how long she took to start the conversation.

"Amanda, what's wrong? You’re scaring me."

"Oh, Mother, I'm sorry. I was just trying to figure out where to start."

"I've always thought the beginning is a good place to start," Dotty said with a slight smile on her face.

Amanda smiled and relaxed a little and began her story. "Mother, usually, that is an excellent place to start, but I think I need to tell you what happened today and then go back a little. Today I was invited to go to a conference for work with three other people. It is a huge conference, and it only happens every three years. However, the conference lasts three weeks. I was surprised that I was invited to go since I’ve only been working for IFF for a short time but still very happy to be included. I will be going with my boss Billy, his wife Jeannie, and Lee."

"Wait, I thought Mr. Steadman was your boss. Who is this, Billy?" Dotty interrupted.

Shoot! Think fast, Amanda. Oh well, in for a penny in for a pound. Amanda thought to herself. "First off, it’s Mr. Stetson, not Steadman, Lee Stetson. Secondly, Billy is my boss, but Lee is more like my supervisor. He has more seniority than I do, so I have been working with him to learn the ropes." Dotty nodded in understanding. "Anyway, Lee's reaction to me going was, let's say, not the most favorable response one would hope they would get. He was very rude and very clear that he did not want me to go with them. Heck, he doesn't even want to go himself. He said they are boring and he thinks it’s a waste of time. But it’s worse now that he knows I’m going. Mother, Lee, can be very hurtful and inconsiderate a lot of times just because he doesn't know better. It’s more out of habit than anything. However, other times he can be a kind and loving man. It's like there are two different men in the same body. It just drives me crazy, and it hurts when he doesn't realize what he’s doing. He has such a wall built up around him that I don't know if it will ever come down. I don't think I can go on much longer with the way things are, but then I don't want to give up either."

"Amanda, there’s more to your feelings for Lee than just work, isn't there?" Dotty asked. When Amanda didn't answer her and just stared at the carpet, Dotty knew she was right and decided to take a different approach. "Amanda, tell me more about Lee."

Amanda was shocked at the question she just heard. Did she dare tell her more, or should she just keep it vague? More than anything, she wanted to share the man she loved with her Mother, so she started. "Tell you more about Lee!” Dotty nodded to encourage her to continue. “Do you remember when I was taking Dean to the train station that one morning because he didn't want his car to get rained on?” Dotty nodded again but still wondered where this was going. “Well, that was when I first met Lee. He was in a dire situation and needed my help. I decided to help him, and slowly, I was asked to help out more. Eventually, I was helping him more, and that was when I started working for IFF. Lee was not very happy that I was hired. He didn't want or feel that he needed help, but Billy insisted on it. Slowly we were able to work together without too much trouble and became a pretty good team. During this time, I found out that Lee had a very rough life, which explained a lot about the way he is. Lee lost both his parents in a car accident when he was five. His uncle raised him, hopping from Air Force Base to Air Force Base until he was 18. After Lee started at IFF, he had lost three other people that were very special to him, and because of this, he had built up a huge wall around his heart and won't let anyone in. Lee has a reputation for being a ladies man. You know, moves from one lady to another so that he doesn't get too close? I think it’s more about reputation than truth. I mean, I think it started that way, but now it's more keeping the image going than actually following through. Do you understand?"

"He's afraid of getting hurt again, isn't he? And he's using his reputation as an escape?" Dotty asked.

Amanda nodded and continued as the tears started to form in her eyes. "I know there’s a very loving, caring man behind that wall, but I don't know how to break that wall down and don't know if I can anymore. I thought I could, but he just won't let go of the hurt. What do I do, Mother?"

Dotty hugged Amanda until she stopped shaking. Then she sat back and looked her in the eyes. "Amanda, do you love Lee?” Amanda nodded, yes. “Then you need to tell him,” Dotty confirmed.

"But what if he laughs at me or worse dismisses me? Then I’ll just feel like a fool, and I will have to quit my job. I won't be able to work there anymore and be around him. And I love my job as well."

"Amanda, if you don't tell him, and you continue to work there, you won't be happy either. If he doesn't feel the same way about you, then so be it. At least you know, and you can move on. You could even ask to work with someone else and still keep your job. I would think that three weeks should be plenty of time to talk to Lee and see how he feels. Don't you?"

"But Mother, that is an awfully long time for you to have to watch the boys. Are you sure you are okay with that?"

"Amanda, those boys are not infants anymore. They are a lot easier to take care of now than they were. Plus, I will hopefully have my driver's license before you leave, so it won't be any trouble getting them to where they need to be.” Dotty stopped and looked at Amanda, not knowing if she entirely agreed with her or not. “I'll tell you what. Why don't we start dinner, and then you can talk to the boys while we eat and see how they feel. Then you can make your decision from that."

"That sounds like an excellent idea Mother. You always make me feel better. I’m so glad you made me talk to you about this."

"My pleasure, darling. Now let's get started on dinner.” The two of them got up from the couch with Amanda in front of Dotty. “Oh, Amanda, you never told me where this conference is being held."

"I'm sorry, Mother, I thought I mentioned it. We’ll be going to Paris!!!"

Dotty stopped dead. "Did you say Paris??"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Lee's Apartment

Lee walked into his apartment, threw his keys on the table by the door, and walked into the living room. He then placed the bag of food on the coffee table and headed straight for his bar. Lee grabbed a glass and filled it with scotch. He drank it all in one big swallow. He then proceeded to fill it again. He took the glass with him to the couch, sat down, and grabbed the remote. He turned the tv on to nothing in particular. It was more for background noise than anything else. He pulled out the food containers from the bag and began eating the Chinese food he grabbed on the way home. He laughed out loud and said, “Some hot date you’ve got here, Stetson!”

Who am I kidding? I haven’t had a hot date in, how long has it been? Hell, I can’t even remember. What was her name? Sherri, Teri, oh, who cares, she wasn’t that memorable anyway. The only name that has been on my mind for a very long time doesn’t end with an I, and she is very memorable. He smiled as he wondered what she was doing right now—probably enjoying some family time and not wallowing in self-pity. Man, you’ve got it bad, Stetson. Why do you have to be such a jerk to her? She hasn’t done anything to you. Lee suddenly lost his appetite. He couldn’t get her out of his head. He was actually looking forward to spending three weeks with Amanda in Paris. He couldn’t wait to show her the beauty of the city. Maybe even share some wonderful kisses with her in the city of love. “Ya, right.” He laughed out loud. “That will never happen. You know why, Stetson? Because you’re chicken!! Yep, that’s right, chicken!! Why is it so hard to talk to her? Why can’t I tell her how I feel? I’ve never had trouble talking to the ladies. Huh, maybe that’s why. She’s not a lady. She’s a beautiful, sophisticated, loving woman. And, damn, she’s sexy.” Lee stopped, but his mind didn’t. You know you can’t forget that one, Stetson. I have never had these feelings before, and I don’t know what to do with them. All I know is I can’t do anything right around her. Everything I do or say is wrong. What is wrong with me?” Lee soon realized that he was talking to himself, waiting for someone to answer. Feeling kind of foolish, he finished his scotch and decided to head to bed. Lee turned off the tv and ignored the food containers on the coffee table. He stopped halfway to his bedroom, realizing that there is no way he would be able to go to bed without seeing her again. So he turned around, picked up his keys, and proceeded to drive to Maplewood Drive. While driving to Amanda’s, he was trying to convince himself that this was a good idea. “Just a little look, that won't hurt anything. Besides, I can’t let her see me. She thinks I’m on a date. She’ll never know I was even there.”

Before long, Lee pulled up to the drive and parked in his regular spot around the corner. He got out of the Vette and into his traditional route to Amanda’s back yard. Along the way, something caught his eye, and he stopped to look. There in the breakfast nook sat all four occupants of the King household. They were sitting there talking. Probably about Amanda leaving for three weeks. They were laughing and acting very excited about something. Suddenly, the boys got up, hugged their mom and grandmother, and said their goodnights. Amanda and Dotty got up and went to the sink to finish up the dinner dishes. Lee could hear them talking but couldn’t understand them. He moved over closer to the window to try and get a better view. He smiled when he saw the window was cracked open just enough to where he could now hear what they were talking about.

“See, I told you the boys wouldn’t have an issue with you going to this conference!” Dotty claimed.

“I know, Mother. I was just worried that they would think I was abandoning them. Especially since this will be the first time I’m not here for the last day of school.”

“Amanda, you heard them. They’re excited for you. You get to go to Paris, France, on the company's dime. What more could you ask for?” Dotty stated. Amanda just smiled and looked off in a dreamy state. “Never mind, you don’t need to answer that. I think I know what your answer would be anyway.”

“Mother!!” Amanda exclaimed.

“Don’t tell me you weren’t thinking about it because you know you were. Anyway, I believe we’re done here, and there is a bubble bath with my name on it upstairs. Good night, darling.”

“Good night, Mother. I’ll be up in a little bit.”

Lee chuckled at how the two of them talked to each other without really saying everything they wanted to. It made him wonder what exactly they were talking about. What was Amanda thinking? He watched as Amanda made her way to the family room, picked up a book along the way, and settled down on the couch to read. Lee moved around the house so he can now see her through the back patio door. He smiled to himself, thinking just how beautiful she was. So simple, just sitting on the couch reading a book. What he ever saw in those other girls is now a faded memory. Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted as Dotty yelled down the stairs, “Amanda dear, I forgot to have Philip take out the trash. Do you think you can take it out?”

Amanda smiled and just shook her head. “Yes, Mother, I’ll take care of it.” Amanda got up and grabbed the trash bag. Lee, still in his daze, almost realized too late that Amanda was heading right for him. He quickly moved back into the shadows so that Amanda couldn’t see him, but he could still see her. He watched Amanda walk out the door and put the trash bag into the garbage can. Not paying attention to what he was doing, he tripped over the garden hose lying on the ground and bumped into the wheelbarrow. He froze, hoping that Amanda didn’t hear him, and then ducked out of sight to head back to his car. Amanda turned around, startled by the sound, just in time to see his shadow run off and chuckled, “Hot date, huh, Stetson?”


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Monday Morning – The Agency

Amanda was in Billy’s office, explaining to him that she would be able to attend the convention, and everything was set up with her family for her time away.

“That’s excellent news, Amanda. I’m so glad you were able to work things out,” Billy commented. Just then, there was a knock on his door. “Come in!” Lee walked in to see Amanda along with Billy. “Ah, good morning, Scarecrow, you are just in time. We’re just getting ready to settle our travel plans. Anything you need to let us know?”

“No, Billy, nothing that I need to add,” Lee stated with little enthusiasm. There you go again, you jerk. Saying the wrong thing, he thought to himself.

“Good, I’ll have all the reservations made and let you know when we will be leaving. In the meantime, I want both of you to wrap up anything you are working on. Get all your reports finished so that there are no loose ends while we’re gone. Neither of you will be starting any new cases this week. If there’s anything that you can’t finish up, make sure you fill Francine in. She will be covering for me while we are gone. Any questions?”

Amanda and Lee shook their head no and exited his office. Just as they opened the door, Francine appeared. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t the happy travelers. Getting everything settled for your vacat…oh, I mean work trip?”

“Can it, will you, Francine?” Lee snapped and pushed past her so that he could start clearing his desk. Amanda silently followed.  
She looked over to Billy and shrugged her shoulders, “Was it something I said?”  
\------  
The week was very uneventful as Lee, Amanda, and Billy worked to clear all of their open cases. Billy was starting to rethink his plan of having Francine fill in for him. She wasn’t handling everything like he thought she would. Unfortunately, there was no time to change plans. Amanda was at Lee’s desk, helping him with some of his reports when Billy walked up. “Hey, you two, I’m glad I caught the both of you. Our flight leaves at 5:45 Friday evening. It’s an overnight, non-stop flight. We are scheduled to arrive in Paris around 8:15 in the morning, Paris time. That will give us two whole days to get adjusted to the time difference. Do you have everything completed?”

“We are just finishing up the last of it,” Lee said. “We should be done in about 45 minutes or so.” Amanda nodded her agreement.

“Good. As soon as you are done, you can call it a day. Get yourself packed and ready to go. There is no need for either of you to come in tomorrow. I have a car that will pick us all up and take us to the airport so we won’t have to worry about our vehicles in the airport parking lot for three weeks. Just be ready by 3:00 pm. We will pick up Amanda first.”

“Oh good, Mother was worried about driving to the airport. She just got her license and prefers to stick to the roads she knows.” Amanda responded.

“Thanks, Billy. I didn’t like the idea of leaving the Vette at the airport.”

“You bet. See you tomorrow at around 3:00.” Billy stated and left them to finish up their work.

Lee was staring at Amanda, trying to get the nerve to say something. Anything, it didn’t matter, but he wanted to talk to her. At that moment, Amanda looked up and caught Lee staring at her. Lee quickly coughed and started to speak. “Huh, Amanda, do you have any plans after work? I mean, unless you have to get home to the boys.”

“Well, what did you have in mind? I do have a lot of packing to do. I haven’t had a chance to get anything started yet. I don’t even know what I’m supposed to pack. I mean, do I pack casually? Do I need anything nice? What do people wear in Paris? I don’t want to look out of place. I mean, this is Paris we are talking about here. I have never bee--”

“A-MAN-DA!” Lee drew out her name in frustration to stop her ramble. Amanda stopped and looked at Lee with an apologetic smile. “You will need to dress as you would for work during the conference. There will be some need for jeans and tennis shoes. Some of the exhibits let you try things out, so you need to be in appropriate clothing for that. The weekends will be casual. Nothing too fancy, just something you will be comfortable in. Oh, and there is usually a ‘celebration’ on the last day, so you will need to pack something for that.” Lee looked rejected when he realized that his plan for a nice dinner was out of the question. “It sounds like you will be pretty busy until we leave, so don’t worry about it.”

“Oh, okay. How about we get this finished up so we can get out of here?” Amanda suggested.

Lee agreed, and they finished their work in comfortable silence and left for the day.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Friday Afternoon

Maplewood Drive

“Mother, have you seen my new shoes? I know they were right here a while ago.” Amanda cried out.

Dotty stuck her head into Amanda’s bedroom. “Did you look under your bed? You know when you pack too fast, items seem to disappear under there.”

“Ah-ha! Found them. Thank you, Mother! I feel like I’m running in circles and not getting anything completed. I have so much to do before Billy gets here. I don’t know how I am going to get everything done.”

Dotty grabbed Amanda by the shoulders to get her attention. “Amanda, tell me what needs to be done; we will divide and conquer. You have nothing to worry about. You’ll be ready.”

Amanda sighed, “Thank you, Mother, that will help me a lot.”

“No worries, dear. Let’s get this knocked out.”

Lee’s Apartment

“Okay, let’s see. Do I have everything ready? Bags packed. Check. Garbage taken out. Check. Refrigerator cleared out. Check. It looks like I’m ready to go.” Lee walked over to his fish tank. “Men, now you all behave while I’m gone. Ms. Jenkins from across the hall is going to take care of you. Now, I know you liked it when Amanda took care of you, but Amanda is going with me on this trip, so you will have to make do with Ms. Jenkins. She’s aware of your routine and will take care of you just like Amanda did. But I wouldn’t expect your tank to be cleaned. I will work on that when I return. Understood? Good.” Lee sat down on the couch, “Now, I just have to wait!”

Maplewood Drive

“Amanda!” Dotty yelled up the stairs. “Are you almost ready? It's almost 3. Your ride will be here any minute.”

“Yes, Mother, I’m just finishing up. I’ll be down in a minute,” Amanda yelled down the stairs.

The doorbell rang, and Dotty answered it. “Oh, hello, you must be Mr. Melrose.” Extending her hand, “I’m Amanda’s mother, Dotty West.”

Billy accepted her hand, “Yes, I’m Billy Melrose, Amanda’s boss. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. West. Is Amanda ready?” Phillip and Jamie walked up to the door. “According to the picture your Mother has shown me, you must be Phillip.” Billy reached for his hand. Phillip nodded and shook his hand back. “And that means you’re Jamie,” Billy repeated his actions with Jamie.

“Boys, please go up and help your Mom with her bags or she is never going to make it to Paris,” Dotty stated. “I’m sorry Amanda has been running around the house all day. She kept thinking she forgot something.” The boys appear at the top of the stairs, each carrying a bag. “Where would you like us to put these, Mr. Melrose?” Jamie asked.

“Over by the car is just fine. The driver will put them in the back.” The boys headed out the door and to the car as Amanda started down the stairs.

“I’m so sorry I’m running behind, Sir. I just wanted to make sure I had everything.” Amanda rushed.

“It’s okay, Amanda. We’re doing just fine on time. All we need to do is stop by and pick up Lee,” Billy exclaimed.

“Come here, fellas, and give me a hug!” Amanda called out to her boys. The boys both hugged her and kissed each cheek. “You two behave for your Grandmother. I will call when I can, but I doubt it will be every day. Stay focused on your last week of school.”

“We will,” both boys chimed.

Amanda stood and hugged her mother. “I’ll call to let you know we made it, but it won’t be right away. Remember, we won’t get there until Saturday morning, Paris time. So that will be about 2:15 in the morning for you. I don’t think you want me to wake you up, do you?”

Dotty laughed, “No, dear, you can wait a few hours. Just be safe, have fun, and remember what we talked about. You need to get it off your chest, or it is going to be the death of you.”

Billy looked on, intrigued with what the West/King women were discussing. Amanda hugged her mother and turned to Billy. “Okay, Sir, I think I’m ready.”

“It was nice to meet you all. Have a great day.” Billy addressed them and turned to allow Amanda to walk out the door ahead of him. As they arrived at the car, Amanda turned back around and waved. Dotty and the boys waved back and yelled, “Bye, have a good trip!” Amanda and Billy got into the car, and the driver took off for Lee’s apartment.

Lee’s Apartment

Lee sat on his couch, waiting for Billy to show up. His head was leaned back against the couch, and he was almost asleep when he heard the knock on the door. Startled, Lee got up and went to the door. He opened it to see the smiling face of his boss, Billy.

“Ready to go, Scarecrow?” Billy asked.

“All ready, Billy. Let me grab my bags.” Lee walked back into his apartment, grabbed his suitcases, and stopped one last time to check on his fish. Happy how things looked, he headed to the door and followed Billy into the hallway. He turned back and locked his door and said, “Let’s get this over with.”

Billy just shook his head and followed Lee down the hall. Once they arrived at the car, the driver took Lee’s luggage, while Lee and Billy got into the car.

“Good Afternoon, Ladies,” Lee politely stated. “You two ready for one of the longest plane rides you will ever experience?” This time there was a little more sarcasm with his tone.

The three other occupants of the car just looked at each other and shook their heads. Amanda thought to herself, this is going to be a great trip. Lee is already in good form.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Dulles International Airport 

The ride to the airport was awkwardly silent. No one wanted to provoke Lee any more than he already was. Once they arrived and the driver unloaded their luggage, Jeannie grabbed Billy’s arm to hold him back and whispered, “Are you sure your plan is going to work? Lee is not in a very good mood, and Amanda doesn’t even want to look at him.” “It will work, Jeannie; you just have to give it some time. It will be rough for the first part of it, especially when we get to the Hotel. But we just have to be patient.” Billy assured her. “If you say so, dear,” Jeannie quietly stated and continued into the airport.

The foursome waited calmly for the departure of their plane. Once the boarding started, Lee and Amanda got to their seats, and Lee grabbed Amanda’s arm “Amanda, are you one of those people that needs to get up a lot during a plane ride?” Amanda looked at him like she didn’t know what he meant, so Lee continued. “What I mean is that I sleep pretty well when I’m on a plane, and I don’t want to have to keep getting up just to let you out.”

Amanda’s anger grew fast, and she tried to keep it under control. She took a deep breath and calmly stated, “then, by all means, Lee, you take the window seat. I wouldn’t want to be an inconvenience to you!” She stepped back to give Lee access to his seat with a condescending gesture.

Damn it, Stetson. You did it again. Why does nothing come out of my mouth the way I want it to when I’m around her? Lee thought as he graciously took his window seat. Amanda sat down once Lee was all set. Billy and Jeannie soon followed, taking the seats directly across from them. Jeannie chose to take the window seat. Once they were all settled and waited for the rest of the passengers to be seated, Amanda looked over to Billy. “First class seats, Wow!! I don’t think I’ve ever been in First Class. Sir, you could have saved the Agency a lot of money and just purchased coach seats.”

“No way am I sitting in coach for eight hours,” Lee added loudly. “It’s bad enough that I have to go to this stupid convention.” Lee looked at Amanda, “It wouldn’t have been any fun sitting beside me in coach; believe me, Amanda.”

Amanda rolled her eyes and whispered towards Billy, “Like it's any fun sitting beside him in First Class.” Billy chuckled and tried to cover his laugh when Lee looked at them with a questioning look. Lee looked away, and Billy and Amanda smiled at each other.

Once the plane was in the air and on its way, the stewardess came around and took drink orders. Billy, Jeannie, and Amanda all ordered iced teas, while Lee ordered a scotch. Billy and Jeannie talked amongst themselves, discussing all the things they would like to do when they had free time. Lee and Amanda sat in silence, both reading books that they brought along. Lee, however, was not getting very far in his book. He couldn’t get his mind off the woman who sat beside him. He could smell the lavender from her shampoo, and it was driving him crazy. He hoped that the scotch would help him relax but so far, it hadn’t worked. He kept peeking over to watch Amanda read. She’s so beautiful. Why is it so hard to talk to her? You are going to ruin the entire trip if you don’t get it straightened out, Stetson. Lee took a deep breath and took a chance. “Amanda, how are you doing? Are you comfortable? Do you have enough room?”

Amanda chuckled and looked at Lee. “Be careful, Lee. You are starting to sound like me.” They both laughed. “Right now, I’m fine. Thank you for asking.”

That seemed to work because both of them talked just about everything for the next few hours. Jeannie nudged Billy when he looked up; she directed him to look at Lee and Amanda with her eyes. Billy looked over and smiled. Then he whispered, “It’s the calm before the storm, dear. Enjoy it while you can.”

Everyone on the plane was starting to settle down for the overnight portion of the trip. Lee had asked for a pillow and was getting comfortable against the window, and Amanda was still reading her book. Billy and Jeannie were snuggled up against one another, fast asleep. Amanda yawned and put her book away so that she could try to get some sleep as well. After about 30 minutes and no luck of falling asleep, Lee spoke up. “Can’t get comfortable?” He peeked over at Amanda with one eye barely open.

Amanda lowered her head and whispered, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. But it is a little hard to get comfortable, even in the bigger seats.”

Lee sat up and grabbed the armrest that was in between them and placed it up so that nothing was separating them. “Is that a little better? I always feel so constrained with the armrest down.” Lee stated.

“Thank you, Lee. That is a little better.” Amanda answered.

Lee settled back against the window, and Amanda laid her head back and eventually drifted off to sleep. A couple of hours later, Lee felt movement beside him. He slowly opened his eyes and tried to adjust to the darkness. He looked over, and Amanda was putting on a lightweight sweatshirt. Once she was done, she sat back and gave off a slight shiver. Lee closed his eyes, took hold of his blanket, and held it out for Amanda to share. Amanda, startled by his movement, looked over at Lee. His eyes were closed, but he had the cheesiest grin on his face. She smiled and took the offering without any words. She snuggled a little closer to Lee, thinking, that is the man I love. He’s still in there. Both drifted back to sleep.

Lee woke first to the voice of the Caption of the plane. “Ladies and Gentlemen, we are approximately 30 minutes from arriving at the Paris airport. Please begin to gather your belongings and prepare for arrival.” Lee started to move but couldn’t figure out why his arm wouldn’t move. He thought maybe he slept on it wrong in the small confines. When he looked over to see what was wrong, he soon found out what was blocking it. Or, more precisely, who was blocking it. At some point during their slumber, Amanda snuggled even closer to Lee and leaned up against him with her head on his shoulder. Lee smiled. He didn’t want to wake her because it felt so nice to have her in his arms. Well, kind of in his arms. He slowly reached over and gently touched her shoulder. “Amanda. Amanda. Wake up; we are almost there.” Amanda started to move and was disoriented at first. Then realizing where she was, she looked over into those beautiful hazel eyes and smiled. Lee smiled back. “Good Morning. You awake now?” Lee asked.

Amanda soon realized where she was and sat up with a start. “Lee, I’m sorry, I must have slid over in my sleep. I didn’t realize I did that. Oh, I’m so sorry. I hope you weren’t too uncomfortable.” Amanda sheepishly rambled.

Lee just smiled and said, “I didn’t even know you were there until I woke up and couldn’t move my arm. You’re fine. It didn’t bother me.” They both smiled and looked around, seeing everyone else waking up and getting their things together.

Amanda asked, “Where are we?”

“We are on a plane up in the sky right at the moment.” Lee sarcastically stated with that Stetson smile. Seeing Amanda wasn’t quite awake for his antics, he corrected himself. “We are about 30 minutes from landing. The captain just came on over the loudspeaker, asking everyone to get their belongings together.”

“Oh, okay.” Lee and Amanda looked over to see if Billy and Jeannie were awake to find both of them watching them closely with huge smiles on both of their faces. Lee and Amanda blushed and said, “Good morning!”

“Good morning, indeed,” Billy returned. “We’ve been awake for about 45 minutes now. Did you sleep well?”

Lee nodded, yes. Amanda nodded yes as well but added. “As soon as Lee decided to share his blanket, I did,” Lee gave an apologetic smile. A few minutes later, the plane landed. The foursome got off the plane, gathered their luggage, and proceeded to catch a cab to the airport.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Le Bristol Paris Hotel

The cab pulled up to the Le Bristol Paris Hotel. Amanda stepped out of the cab and looked up at the elegant hotel. She couldn’t believe what she saw. “Oh my gosh! This is so beautiful.” Amanda looked toward a revolving door with shining gold framing, two huge windows on each side bordered with greenery. She looked up to see the beautiful architecture with flower beds around each window. She was in awe at the beauty and detail that was put into every single piece of decoration as well as design. Lee walked up to her and stood silently. He loved how she saw everything with fresh eyes. 

“Are you ready to go in, or do you want to stay out here for three weeks?” Lee asked with a smile that showed his dimples. 

“Oh, you!!” Amanda slapped his arm playfully. She linked her arm inside his as he escorted her to the revolving door. Lee gestured for her to go first and then followed her in. Billy and Jeannie waited for them to come in at their own pace.

“Sir, this is a beautiful hotel. I can’t believe we get to stay here.” 

“It is beautiful, isn’t it,” Billy confirmed. “Why don’t you ladies stay here? Lee and I will go get us checked in, and then we can all relax.” Lee went towards the front desk. Billy gave Jeannie a look that only the two of them would understand, took a deep breath, and followed Lee. 

Jeannie and Amanda talked while they waited for the men to come back with their room keys. Suddenly, Amanda heard something that she knew all too well but hoped she wouldn’t be hearing. 

“WHAT! You’ve got to be kidding me!” Lee yelled.

“Uh, oh!” Amanda responded. “We better get over there and see what is going on,” Jeannie smirked and followed Amanda. Lee felt a hand on his arm and turned to look into the concerned eyes of his partner. “Amanda, you’re not going to believe this!” Lee looked at his name tag and exclaimed, “Gabriel here, messed up our reservations.” Amanda looked at Lee, then to Billy, needing an explanation. 

Billy looked at Lee. “ I don’t think Gabriel did anything but relay the information, Lee.” Billy then looked at Amanda. “I have a reservation confirmation for three rooms; however, it appears that they only have two rooms reserved for us. Plus, the hotel has no more rooms available. Due to the conference, the hotel is booked.” Billy confirmed with an apologetic smile. 

Amanda looked at Gabriel. He confirmed Billy’s words, then stated. “However, we do have both parties in our signature suites on the 6th floor. Very spacious rooms.” 

“But only one bed?” Amanda moaned. 

“Yes, one king-size bed,” Gabriel confirmed. 

Lee yelled at Gabriel. “Are you sure that there are no other rooms available?” Gabriel confirmed with a nod. “Well, can we get a rollaway bed for the room?”

“Unfortunately, all of the rollaways are booked as well. The conference has all of our resources spoken for,” Gabriel explained sympathetically. Lee started again. “That is unaccep---” “Lee!” Amanda interrupted. “It’s okay. There’s nothing we can do about it. It’s not like we haven’t shared a hotel room before.” 

“Yes, but if I remember correctly, I slept in a broom closet while you slept on the bed.” 

“Lee, it’ll be okay.” Amanda talked more confidently than she felt. How was she going to share a suite with Lee for three weeks? If his attitude didn’t change, it was going to be a very long three weeks.

They turned back towards Gabriel. He handed Billy a set of keys, “Sir, you will be in the Terrace Suite, and for you, sir,” he handed Lee keys, “You are in the Paris Suite, as I mentioned before, they are both on the 6th floor. Lucien and Marquis will help you with your bags.” Lee snatched the keys from his hand and turned towards the elevator. Amanda turned and followed Lee, looking apologetic to Gabriel. 

Jeannie looked at Billy and spoke. “I can’t believe they thought that reservation mix-up was real. Do you think that putting them in one room will bring them together?” 

Billy nodded. “I do, dear.” 

They arrived on the 6th floor. Billy and Jeannie followed Marquis to the left, while Lee and Amanda followed Lucien to the right. Lucien opened the door to their suite and stepped back to allow Amanda in, followed by Lee. “Oh my gosh!” was all Lee heard. Amanda stood in the doorway of their suite. To the left was the spacious living room with a dining room to the right of that. To the right of the door was a hallway that led to the bedroom. Inside the bedroom was a huge walk-in closet, a master bath with a shower, a soaking tub, and a steam room. Everything was breathtaking. While Amanda explored the room, Lee tipped Lucien and followed her into the bedroom. 

“Shall we start unpacking?” Lee asked. Amanda nodded. Lee grabbed his garment bag and headed into the closet. When he came back out, Amanda was already putting her clothes in one of the dressers. Once Amanda was done with her suitcase, she walked into the closet with her garment bag. She opened it up and spaced all of her clothes out so that they wouldn’t get anymore wrinkled than the travel had already done to them. As she walked out, she noticed Lee’s garment bag. All of his clothes were still in the bag. She shook her head, went to his bag and proceeded to empty it, and separated his clothes as well. She walked out, and Lee was in the bathroom, working on his toiletries, so she decided to explore the room a little more until Lee was done with the bathroom. 

Back down the hall, she noticed another door that was straight in front of the main entrance. She pushed it open to find a closet to the left and a small bathroom to the right. Past the bathroom was another room. As she walked in, she gasped. “A full kitchen. You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said out loud to herself. She walked around, running her hands along the cool marble countertops. She worked her way back out to the living room and found French doors that led to the spacious balcony to the side of the dining table. She opened up the doors and took another huge breath. Right in front of her eyes in the distance was the Eiffel Tower. She couldn’t believe it. She stayed out there to take in the scenery. 

Meanwhile, Lee came out of the bathroom. “The bathroom is all yours, Aman….” Not seeing Amanda anywhere in the bedroom, he took off in search of her. He found her standing on the balcony with the Eiffel Tower as her background. He was in awe. He couldn’t move. It wasn’t the spectacular scenery of Paris that had him in awe, but the woman who stood at the forefront.  _ How can any woman be so beautiful? _ He thought to himself. He quietly walked to the balcony but stopped to lean against the doorway. 

Amanda heard Lee behind her but didn’t turn to him. Instead, she simply said. “It's breathtaking, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is,” Lee said. However, Lee was not looking at the Paris backdrop. He was only looking at Amanda. He walked up to be beside her. She turned and looked into his eyes. “I know I keep saying the same thing, but this is just beautiful. Why didn’t you ever tell me? You’ve been here before.” 

Lee gazed into Amanda’s deep chocolate eyes. “I guess I truly never saw Paris until I saw it through your eyes.” They just stood there and stared for the longest time. Amanda was the first to break the silence. 

“Was there something you needed? I thought I heard you calling my name.”

Lee shook himself out of his trace. “Oh, umm ya. I was just going to tell you I was done in the bathroom if you wanted to put your stuff away.”

“Oh, thanks. I’ll go do that now. Did you know that there’s a full kitchen in this suite?” Amanda stated as she walked back into the room. 

Lee just shook his head and went into the living room to relax. When Amanda was done unpacking, she joined Lee in the living room and sat down to relax as well. They sat in silence and soon faded off to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Later that Afternoon

Lee awoke, feeling refreshed. He stretched and looked around. He was genuinely impressed with the suite. He didn’t want Amanda to know that he was happy with the room reservations mix-up. He would be able to spend more time with Amanda and maybe get the nerve up to discuss other personal issues with her. That is if he could get the words to come out correctly. He knew that they would have to talk about the sleeping arrangements sooner than later but wasn’t looking forward to it. He wanted to try and talk Amanda into sharing the bed because he knew his back would not last three weeks sleeping on the couch. He wasn’t quite sure how he would be able to sleep being so close to Amanda either, but at least he wouldn’t have any sore muscles. 

He looked to the left and noticed Amanda asleep on the other end of the couch. He didn’t want to wake her, so he decided to check out the kitchen she mentioned earlier. When he walked in, he was pleasantly surprised at the size. There was a sink, stove, refrigerator, and even a small dishwasher. He looked in the cupboards, and there were six place settings along with three different types of glasses. He also found several snacks along with some crackers. Seeing the crackers, it made him go to the refrigerator to look for cheese. He smiled as he opened the door and saw a small selection of cheeses, along with single-serving bottles of various wines. He made a mental note that he needed to stop at a local store and grab a few things to get them through their time in Paris. 

“Lee! Lee!” He heard coming from the living room.

“In the kitchen, Amanda. I’ll be right out,” Lee answered. 

As he walked back into the living room, he saw Amanda stretching and running her fingers through her hair. “Did you have a nice nap?” Lee asked. 

“Yes, I did. I guess I didn’t realize how much the trip wore me out. Plus, we did lose 6 hours. It will be kind of difficult to get to bed at a decent time tonight,” Amanda explained. 

“It doesn’t take as much time as you think to get adjusted. One good night’s sleep and you should be back on track.” Lee hesitated. “Um, Amanda, speaking of sleep, um, we should probably discuss the sleeping arrangements.” Amanda nodded in agreement. “I have to say; I was kind of surprised with your reaction when you found out that we had to share a room,” Lee finished.

“Well, I didn’t think it was worth the trouble of arguing about it and making a scene in the lobby,” Amanda stated bluntly. “There was nothing we could do about it, no matter how much yelling was done.” 

“Well, I was angry. I tend to yell when I’m angry.” Seeing the look on Amanda’s face, he knew he had to get control, or this would not end well. “Okay, there was nothing we could do about it, but I was tired. It was a very long flight. That was not what I expected when we checked in.” Lee took a deep breath and knew now was the time. “Amanda, I wanted to ask you if you thought it would be okay if I shared the bed with you? I looked at both the couches we have, and they are both too short for me. Now, I remember how you reacted a short time ago when we were at The Cumberland. You didn’t even want to consider sharing the bed, but I was hoping you would reconsider that.”

Amanda took a deep breath before she answered. “Lee, you know how I feel about that.”

“Yes, Amanda, you made that perfectly clear.” Lee could feel his anger grow. “I just don’t understand what the big deal is. Agents share beds all the time.”

“I understand that, Lee, but as you continually remind me, I am not an agent.”

“Really! You’re going to throw that back in my face?”

“Why not? You keep throwing it in mine.”

“Oh, come on, Amanda. I really don’t want to sleep on the couch for three weeks. Or would you prefer I slept in a broom closet?”

“It wasn’t a broom closet,” Amanda responded quietly. 

“What?” Lee couldn’t believe what he just heard. “What do you mean?”

“It wasn't a broom closet. You said you stayed in a closet. That’s not a broom closet. I mean, broom closets have brooms in them. You didn’t mention anything about brooms a few weeks ago. Only a close---”

“A-MAN-DA!!” Lee yelled to stop her rambling. “I can’t believe we are fighting about a closet. Why can’t you just get over your stupid beliefs that if you sleep in the same bed with a man, that you will be going to hell or something?”

“Oh, so you think my beliefs are stupid, do you?”

“No, not all of them. Just that one. It. Is. Stupid!”

“So I guess that would make me stupid, then wouldn’t it?”

Lee couldn’t stop himself. “Yes, I guess it would. I think you’re stupid!!!!” 

Amanda stood staring at Lee; her anger grew before she exclaimed. “Go to hell, Scarecrow!!!” She turned around and headed out the door, slamming it behind her. 

Lee froze, not believing what he just said.  _ What just happened? Why did I say that? I didn’t mean any of it. Oh, my God. I need to go after her _ . Lee bolted for the door and down the hall, hollering. “Amanda! Amanda! Please stop. I didn’t mean it. Please!!!” Lee made it just in time to see the look in her eyes as the elevator doors closed. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Much later, Somewhere in the streets of Paris 

Amanda walked through the streets of Paris, crying, not knowing where she was going, and not really caring either. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. She was so furious she didn’t even see everyone looking at her with concerned eyes.  _ Did he really just call me stupid? _ She thought to herself.  _ I guess I am stupid. Stupid for believing that he could change and be the man that she knew he….. No thought he could be. She wasn’t so sure anymore. Why was it so hard for her to talk to him? She spoke to her Mother just fine. Why was it any different talking to Lee? _ Amanda looked up to find herself in front of the hotel. She hadn’t realized that she had been walking around in circles for hours. She decided to go in, but she didn’t want to go to her room. Then she remembered the lounge that was on the main floor. She entered the hotel and made her way to the lounge. 

\-------

Lee paced back and forth in the hotel room, thinking to himself.  _ “Where could she be? I can’t believe I let her get away from me. I looked all over for her. She doesn’t know Paris. She could be lost or hurt. Of course, she’s hurt, you idiot. You hurt her. You’re the one that’s stupid, not her. _ Coming out of his thoughts, Lee declared, “I’ve got to go find her. I don’t care if it takes me all night, but I’m going to find her!” Lee grabbed the room key and headed for the door. 

\------

Amanda walked into the lounge and decided to sit at the bar. No reason to take up a whole table for just one. The bartender walked up to her and asked, “Bonne après-midi. Mon nom est Vincent. Que puis-je vous offrir ce soir?”

“I’m sorry I don’t speak French. Do you speak English?”

“Yes, I do. I said, Good afternoon, my name is Vincent. What can I get for you tonight?” The bartender responded with a slight accent. 

Amanda chuckled to herself. “I don’t know if you have what I need.”

“Well, why don’t you tell me, then I will know if I have it or not? Maybe a nice wine?” Vincent suggested. 

“I don’t think that will help me tonight,” Amanda stated. 

“Okay, how about a scotch then? It goes down smooth, but there is a little burn to it. It may be just what you need.”

Amanda thought for a while, “Why not? My night couldn’t get any worse. I’ll have a scotch.”  _ It seems to help Lee all the time. Maybe I should see what he likes so much about it.  _

Vincent brought the scotch over to Amanda. “Now drink it slow--” Amanda grabbed the glass and, without thinking, downed it like a shot and immediately started coughing. “Hey, I said drink it slowly. You can’t just throw that kind of a drink back.” 

Amanda looked apologetic towards Vincent. “I’ll have another, and I promise to drink it slowly.”

Vincent poured her another one. “So, do you want to talk about it? I’m a pretty good listener.”

“I don’t want to bore you with it. Same old story. Man and woman fight. Man and woman were both stupid, and now man and woman aren’t speaking to each other.”

“Ah, fight with your boyfriend? Sorry to hear it.”

“He’s not my boyfriend. Just a work colleague.” 

Vincent added, “But you want it to be more?” When Amanda looked at him with a questioning look, he continued. “I’ve been doing this job for a long time. A person doesn’t get this upset at a work colleague.” 

Amanda chuckled again, “No, I suppose one doesn’t.” She raised her glass to toast Vincent and took a small sip. 

\------

The elevator doors opened, and Lee ran to the front desk. Seeing that Gabriel was still working, he asked him if he had seen Mrs. King. 

“No, I haven't seen her since she left about 4 hours ago. Has she not returned?” Gabriel asked. 

“No, she hasn’t. And I’m starting to get worried. This is her first trip to Paris, and she is not familiar with the place.” 

“I’m sorry, Mr. Stetson. If I see her, I’ll tell her you were looking for her. Oh, there’s Mr. Melrose. Maybe he’s seen her?”

Lee whipped his head around to see Billy and Jeannie walking out of the hotel restaurant. “Thanks, Gabriel; please keep an eye out for her.” Lee didn't wait for a response and turned towards Billy. “Billy!” He shouted. “Billy, have you seen Amanda? I haven’t seen her for over four hours now, and I’m getting worried. She stormed out of the hotel room and……..” 

Billy looked at Lee with a fatherly face. “What did you do, Lee?”

“Billy, I messed up big time. We had a fight, and I’m not for sure we can come back from this one,” Lee confessed. “I’m not going into the details, Billy, but I’ve got to find her. I’ve got to try to make this up to her.”

Jeannie interrupted and pointed past Lee’s shoulder. Billy and Lee turned to look. Lee let out a massive sigh of relief when he saw Amanda sitting at the bar in the lounge. “Thank God!” Lee exclaimed.

“Lee, whatever happened, fix it!” Billy ordered. “You have until 6:30 tomorrow evening. I just made dinner reservations for the four of us. We need to go over the agenda for the start of the convention. I want you two on speaking terms by then. Got it.”

“Ya, Billy, I got it. I don’t know if I can do it, but I got it.” Lee turned from Jeannie and Billy to head over to Amanda. He didn’t know what he was going to say, but he knew he had to keep a cool head. 

\-------

Lee walked up behind Amanda and sat on the stool next to her. “This seat taken?” He asked shyly. 

Amanda turned to Lee, didn’t say a word, and turned back to her drink. 

Lee sighed deeply. “Man, I’d hate to be the guy that made you mad. I don’t see a lot of women drinking scotch.” Again, Amanda ignored him. Lee tried again. “Amanda, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me back there. Will you please talk to me?” Vincent walked up to them and asked, “Is this guy bothering you?” Lee snapped. “Look, just mind your own business, will ya?” 

Vincent looked at Amanda and, with a knowing tone, said, “Business colleague?” Amanda just shook her head, yes, and Vincent walked away, mumbling something in French. 

Lee looked at him with a look that would kill. “Who does that guy think he is?” Lee asked. 

“Vincent is the bartender, and he has been very nice to me, so leave him alone,” Amanda sharply stated. 

Lee took a deep breath and tried again. “Amanda, we need to talk.”

“I know we do, but I’m not going back to the room, and we can’t talk here,” she clearly stated. 

“Okay, how about we go find a small, quiet cafe, get something to eat, and we can talk. Maybe take a walk afterward. Take it slow,” Lee suggested. 

Amanda thought about it for a while and agreed. “Sure, that sounds like a great idea.” Amanda and Lee got up from the bar, Lee dropped some money for her drinks, and he extended his arm, hoping that Amanda would take it. When she hesitated, Lee added. “Just walk with me! Please?” 

Amanda smiled and took his arm. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Streets of Paris

Lee and Amanda walked quietly. Both lost in their thoughts. They were trying to straighten out the jumbled mess of thoughts that they were both experiencing in their minds. Every now and then, Lee would point out spots of interest for Amanda to look at, and he would explain them to her. Suddenly, Lee pointed to a small cafe and asked. “What do you think about this place, Amanda? It doesn’t look too busy.” 

“It looks fine, Lee.” Amanda agreed softly. 

They walked into the cafe and were seated out on the patio. They ordered some drinks and quietly looked over the menu. The waitress returned with their drinks and took their order. After what seemed like forever with the silence, their food finally arrived. It was almost a relief that they had something to do. Lee was the first to break the silence. “Amanda, I wanted to say how deeply sorry I am for my actions and especially my words back at the hotel. I truly didn’t mean any of it. Can you forgive me?”

“Lee, I’m sorry, too.” Amanda stopped Lee from interrupting her. “I said some things that I’m not proud of either, Lee. We are both at fault here.” Amanda smiled. “And yes, I forgive you.” Lee smiled with a look of relief on his face. “Do you forgive me?”

“Absolutely!” Lee proclaimed. “Do you feel like another walk when we are done here?”

“Oh, yes, I think that will be lovely. Are you familiar with this area? Are there any sites that are must-sees?” Amanda questioned. 

Lee thought about it for a while. “Yes, actually, there is a river not too far from here that is just spectacular at night.” 

“That sounds lovely. Do you think we will have time to do any other sight-seeing while we are here?” Amanda questioned. 

“Oh, definitely. We will have the weekends and evenings free to do whatever we want. The conference only takes up our weekdays and is usually over by 4:00 each day.” 

Amanda wiped her mouth with her napkin and placed it on her plate. “That was delicious. Thank you for suggesting this. I guess I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”

“You’re welcome. Are you ready to go see the river?” 

“Absolutely,” Amanda answered excitedly.

Lee offered his arm for Amanda once more as they walked towards the river. After a while of walking in comfortable silence, Lee was concerned that Amanda was holding something back. “Amanda, are you okay? I mean, it seems like there is something more on your mind than our fight. Are you sure there isn’t anything else that is bothering you? You don’t seem entirely like yourself.” 

“Lee, I’m completely over our fight. Yes, it was a big fight. We both had a lot of frustrations that we were both holding back, and I believe that fight needed to happen, or we were not going to make it. That has nothing to do with my mood now.” Lee let out a breath of relief but still worried that Amanda was holding back. 

“Okay, so tell me what else is wrong? Please talk to me.” 

Amanda looked up to Lee and saw the concern in his eyes. She took a deep breath and continued. “Well, yes, there is something else on my mind, or rather someone.” Amanda paused to see what kind of reaction she would get from Lee. When she didn’t get one, she knew she had to continue. Amanda walked up to the bridge as they approached the river, leaned her forearms against the railing, and stared into the water. Lee could tell that this was something that Amanda wanted to talk about, but he knew he couldn’t rush her. So he walked closer to her but stood behind her to give her the space she needed to get this burden off her chest. Lee patiently waited. 

Amanda took a deep breath and quietly replied. “There’s this guy that I’ve known for a while now that I haven’t been able to get off my mind, and I don’t know what to do about it.” 

Lee’s heart dropped from his chest. He couldn’t believe that he was too late. Amanda was already involved with someone. Now her problem with sharing a bed with him made perfect sense. Lee calmly commented, “I didn’t realize you were seeing anyone.” 

Amanda softly chuckled. “I don’t know if I would call it seeing someone. I don’t think he knows I exist.”

Lee decided to take the high road and be there for Amanda. Right now, what she needed was a friend, and he was going to be just that. “Amanda, any man in their right mind would notice you. How many times have I left you at a party to meet a contact and returned to some man by your side trying to get to know you? You are definitely noticeable,” Lee supported. “Why don’t you tell me about him, and we’ll go from there.” Lee didn’t know if he wanted her to answer that, but he wanted to be supportive and let Amanda know that he would be there for her. 

When Amanda heard Lee’s question, her thoughts went back to her conversation with her mother, but couldn’t make herself turn to look at Lee. She continued to stare out into the water, took a deep breath, and continued. “Well, as I said, I’ve known him for a few months now, and he’s charming, attentive, sweet, brave, and extremely handsome. I haven’t had so many different types of feelings towards one man in my life. Not even Joe. I tried to let him know that I’m interested without being blunt, but I don’t seem to be getting through to him.” Lee now wished he hadn’t asked the question. This guy seemed like the perfect gentleman. He was definitely too late to try to win Amanda’s heart. That’s when he heard Amanda continue, and something clicked. “He can also be so understanding one minute and dismissive the next. As well as the most infuriating, condescending man I know. He doesn’t even realize how mean he can be. He has such a huge wall built up around his heart; I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to break it down.”

As soon as Lee heard that last part, he knew that Amanda was talking about him, but he didn’t want to interrupt where Amanda was going with this. He decided to play along. 

“Amanda, how do you feel about him?” 

Amanda smiled, even though Lee couldn’t see her. “How do I feel about him? When I know I’m going to be seeing him, I can’t get there fast enough. When I do see him, my heart skips a beat, and I don’t want to have to leave. And when we depart, I can’t wait to see him again. I fantasize about what my life would be with him in it permanently.”

Tears started to form in Lee’s eyes as he stepped closer to Amanda. He was now right behind her, and all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her, but he had to wait for Amanda to confirm it was him she was talking about. He waited patiently again. 

“Lee, what do you think I should do?” 

Lee smiled to himself. He couldn’t take it anymore. He put his arms on each side of her with his hands on the railing. His mouth was right next to her ear, but he wasn’t touching her. Then he spoke softly. “I think you should tell him exactly how you feel about him. He’d be a fool to turn you away.” 

Amanda shuddered as his warm breath tickled her ear. She had to catch her breath from what Lee had said. Amanda turned to face Lee. Lee backed up just enough so that Amanda had enough room but not too far away to disrupt the moment. Lee’s hands moved to her elbows. Amanda looked up into Lee’s eyes and put her hands on his chest. She was lost in those beautiful hazel eyes for the longest time. She took a deep breath and moved her right hand up to his cheek. “So you think I should tell him, huh?”

“Oh, yes, Amanda. This man needs to hear it from you.” Lee proclaimed. They both smiled at each other. 

“Lee, I want to tell you, no, I need to tell you how I feel about you. I can’t continue the way things are right now. I’m not sure if I should be feeling the way I feel for you, but I can’t stop it. I’ve tried, but it just won’t go away. You are all I think about. I can’t get you out of my mind.” Amanda paused and saw the same emotions in Lee’s eyes as she felt. This gave her encouragement to continue. “I know this may sound funny or that it’s too fast, but I can’t lie anymore. Not to myself or to you. I love you, Lee. With all my heart.”

They both smiled and just looked into each other’s teary eyes. After what seemed like forever, Lee grabbed Amanda’s hand that was on his face and brought it down to her waist along with her other hand as well. “Amanda, this may surprise you, but…” He moved his right hand to her cheek and, with his thumb, slowly brushed the tears away. He smiled again. “I love you too.” Amanda let out a breath of relief. “I can’t get you out of my mind either. I think that’s why I’ve been fumbling around with my words so much lately. Nothing came out the way I wanted it to. It was because I had such strong feelings that I didn’t know what to do with them. I’ve never felt this way before. I didn’t know what to do.”

“Oh, Lee, I was so worried you were going to reject me. I didn’t know if I was ready to take that chance or not.” 

“Well, I’m delighted you did. I don’t know if I ever would have,” Lee confirmed. They continued to stare into one another eyes and were lost in the moment. “Amanda, I would really love to kiss you right now. May I kiss you?”

Amanda smiled, “I would like that very much.”

They moved together like old lovers. Right before their lips met, Lee hesitated just a little as if to confirm he was still okay to proceed. The look he received from Amanda was all he needed to continue. Their lips finally met for the softest, most loving kiss either of them had experienced. Lee pushed Amanda back just slightly to where her back was up against the railing and moved his hand to the back of her neck to deepen the kiss. Amanda responded by wrapping her arms around his neck. A soft moan escaped both of their mouths. Lee’s tongue teased her lips, asking for entrance. Amanda responded and opened her mouth to accept the offering. The kiss seemed to last forever. Lee finally pulled away to look into Amanda’s eyes. He leaned his forehead against hers so as not to break contact. They both let out a deep breath, needing to take a minute to catch their breath. Lee spoke first. “Amanda, that was incredible. I’ve never had feelings like that before with any other woman. You are so beautiful!” He kissed her again. This time Amanda broke the kiss. The look Lee saw in her eyes was one that he had never seen before. Such desire, such love. 

“Lee, take me back to the hotel. I need you!” 

Lee shook his head, no. “Amanda, I don’t want to rush this.” Lee pulled back and looked into Amanda’s dark chocolate eyes. He needed Amanda to see how much he meant what he was about to say. “This means too much to me to go too fast. You don’t know how bad I want to pick you up and carry you back to our hotel room and make love to you all night. But I won’t do that. I won’t make you go against your principles. Please don’t ask me to!” Tears started forming in Amanda’s eyes again. “Oh, Amanda, please don’t cry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Amanda shook her head and explained. “Lee, you didn’t upset me. You just made me love you that much more. The fact that you want to wait is amazing. All though, I honestly can’t tell you how much longer I can wait.” They both laughed. “I’ve wanted you for so long, but if you want to wait for a while, I’m okay with that.” They kissed again. “We should probably head back to the hotel. It’s getting kind of late.”

Lee agreed, stepped back, and reached for Amanda’s hand. They walked back to the hotel, hand in hand with thoughts of what’s to come in the next step of their relationship.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Le Bristol Paris Hotel

Lee and Amanda walked down the hallway towards their suite, hand in hand. Once they arrived at their door, Lee opened it and allowed Amanda to go in ahead of him. 

“You know, Lee, that was an excellent idea to stop at that store on the way back to get some groceries. It’ll be nice to have some food here, so we don’t always have to go out to eat. Are you sure you don’t want any help putting it away?” Amanda remarked.

“Why, thank you, Amanda. It came to me when I was checking out the kitchen while you were still napping. And no, I don't need any help putting them away. You go and relax, and I’ll just be a few minutes.” Lee leaned over to gently place a kiss on Amanda's lips.

“Okay, holler if you do. I’ll just be in the living room.” 

Lee watched Amanda walk away, and all he could do was smile. He shook his head and walked into the kitchen. 

Amanda walked over to the windows and opened the curtains so the lights of Paris would be visible. She took a deep breath and thought to herself.  _ Mother would love it here.  _ “Mother!! Shoot, I forgot to call her.” Amanda rushed over to the phone by the couch and punched in the numbers required to make her call. 

“Hello,” Dotty answered.

“Hello, Mother.”

“Oh, Amanda. I’m so glad you finally called. I was starting to get worried about you.”

“I’m sorry, things were kind of hectic when we arrived. This was the first chance I had to call. How are you and the boys?”

“They’re fine, dear. I’m fine. The boys are outside, setting the table. We are having a picnic tonight. How’s your room? Is it nice?”

“Oh, Mother, it’s lovely. Right now I am looking out my window at the Eiffel Tower.”

“Oh, dear! Amanda darling, you have to take a picture for me,” Dotty begged. 

“I completely forgot I packed a camera. I will certainly take lots of pictures for you.”

“Amanda, do you want anything to drink?” was heard from the kitchen.

“Amanda, who was that I just heard?” Dotty questioned. 

“That would be Lee, Mother.”

“Lee’s in your room! What is Lee doing in your room?”

“Well, that would have something to do with the mix-up we had when we arrived. You see, the hotel only had two rooms reserved for us, instead of three. So, Lee and I are sharing a room,” Amanda hesitantly answered. 

“Well, isn’t that convenient!”

“Mother!”

“What? I’m just saying, that should give you plenty of time to talk to him.”

“That won’t be needed. We’ve already talked.” Amanda offered no further detail, and there was a short silence on the phone. 

“Amanda, are you going to give me any details?”

“Mother, I’m not going to give you any details because it’s a long story, and this is an international call. The only thing you need to know right now is that Lee feels the same about me.” 

“Oh, Amanda, I’m so happy for you.”

“Thank you, Mother. I should really be going. Give the boys a hug from me. Love you all.”

“Love you, too, dear. Do try to enjoy your time in Paris.”

“I will, Mother. Bye.”

“Bye.” Amanda hung up the phone and instantly went to the bedroom to grab her camera. She came back into the living room and headed straight for the balcony. She snapped several pictures until she was satisfied and set the camera on the table by the door. She then walked over to the edge of the balcony and just took in the astonishing scene. 

Lee finished in the kitchen and walked into the living room with two glasses of wine. He found Amanda out on the balcony. He walked over to the doors and noticed the camera on the table. He set the drinks down and picked up the camera. He snapped a few pictures of Amanda. He then announced his presence. “Amanda.” Amanda turned around to face Lee, “Say cheese!” She smiled, and he snapped a few more pictures. He put the camera down and picked up the glasses. “I asked if you wanted anything to drink, but I didn’t get an answer. I took a chance that you would want one,” he stated as he held up the wine glass. 

“I don’t think one glass will hurt. Thank you, Lee.” 

Lee pointed to the love seat in the corner of the balcony. “Would you like to sit out here for a while?”

“I would love to.” Amanda walked over to the love seat. She sat, waiting for Lee to join her. Lee sat down and put his arm around Amanda while she snuggled up against his chest. They sat there in silence, enjoying the feeling of holding each other. 

Lee broke the silence first. “Amanda, I have a question for you. It’s more out of curiosity than anything. When we had our fight, and I called you, well, you know what I said. You called me Scarecrow. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you call me that. You always call me Lee. Why did you use my code name?”

Amanda chuckled lightly and turned so that she was facing Lee. “I called you Scarecrow because that was the first time I’ve ever thought you truly didn’t have a brain.”

Lee nodded, but then a moment came upon him when he realized what she said. “So, what you’re telling me, is, if I ever hear you call me Scarecrow again, that means I’m in the doghouse.” 

“Exactly! And it will more than likely take you a while to get out of it. So take warning.”

Lee smiled. “Got it, Lee good, Scarecrow bad. Very, very bad!” Amanda playfully swatted his arm and returned to her previous position against Lee’s chest. Lee continued, “You know, we still haven’t settled the sleeping arrangements. We should probably figure that out soon.” 

Amanda set her glass on the end table next to the love seat and stood in front of Lee without a word. She then sat down on Lee’s lap and put one arm around his neck. The other hand, she ran seductively through his hair and softly spoke. “Lee,” she kissed his forehead, “I think we can figure something out in regards to that,” she kissed him again, this time on his cheek. “Don’t you think?” Her last kiss was on his lips. Lee responded instantly, and the kiss rapidly deepened. Much too soon to Amanda’s liking, Lee pulled back. 

“Amanda, we need to stop. I told you I didn’t want to rush this.” All the time Lee talked, Amanda continued to kiss his neck, making it hard for Lee to get himself under control. Lee grabbed Amanda’s face with both his hands and pleaded into her eyes. “Please!” 

Amanda could see his desire for her in his eyes, as well as the desire for her to accept his plea. She let out a sigh and explained. “You can’t blame a girl for trying.” They both smiled. Amanda then raised from Lee’s lap and held out her hand for him to stand. “Let’s go to bed.” Lee had a questioning look on his face. “To sleep, Lee. To sleep.” 

“That sounds like a plan. Why don’t you go ahead, and I’ll make sure everything’s shut up and take these glasses into the kitchen. I’ll be there in just a little bit.” Amanda nodded and started to walk back into the suite when she heard. “Amanda, thanks.”

When Lee came into the bedroom, Amanda was still in the bathroom. He grabbed his pajamas and went into the walk-in closet to change in there. He came out in his pajamas and robe. He walked over to the windows and opened one of the curtains just enough to let the moonlight into the bedroom. Then walked to the bed and started to turn down the covers. At that time, Amanda walked out of the bathroom and noticed Lee at the bed. “Is this okay, Amanda? I usually sleep on this side.”

As Amanda walked around the bed to the other side, Lee got his first view of her. She answered as she walked. “It’s perfect, Lee. I usually sleep on the other side. I’m done in the bathroom if you need it.” Lee watched Amanda walk across the room. She was in a pale blue satin robe that went almost to the floor. He was speechless until Amanda’s voice brought him out of his daze. “Lee, are you okay?”

“Uh, yes, I’m fine. I’ll just be a minute.” While Lee was in the bathroom, Amanda was sitting on the edge of the bed, putting some lotion on. She was just finishing up when Lee came out of the bathroom carrying his robe. Amanda looked his way as he was hanging his robe on the corner of the headboard. She couldn’t move. There stood Lee in his pajama bottoms and bare chest. She could see the muscle definition every time he moved. Lee noticed her staring and apologized. “I’m sorry, Amanda, I wasn’t planning on sharing a room when I packed. I usually sleep in my boxers only. I was just lucky I threw these in at the last minute. I can grab a t-shirt if this bothers you.”

“Bother me. Um, no, it doesn’t bother me,” Amanda stumbled through her words. Lee grabbed the extra pillows off the bed and went to place them on the couch for the night. When he turned back to the bed, Amanda was hanging up her robe. There stood a Goddess. She wasn’t wearing her usual long sleeve nightgown like the blue one she wore that day at the train station. This one was the same pale blue as her robe. Satin with spaghetti straps, a sweetheart neckline that didn’t leave much to the imagination, and a hem that stopped just below her knees. She noticed Lee staring, “Is this okay? I also didn’t plan on sharing a room.” They both laughed. 

Lee walked up to her, “Amanda, you’re gorgeous. This is very much okay.” He kissed her gently and went to get in bed. 

Instead of going to bed, Amanda walked towards the window as Lee was getting into bed. He watched her crack the window just a little and head back to bed. She climbed in as Lee was turning off the light at his bedside. They both laid on their sides so that they were facing each other. Lee reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and sat up on his elbow. He leaned towards Amanda and gave her the softest, sweetest kiss, and leaned back. “Good night, Amanda. Sweet dreams. I love you.”

“Good night, Lee. I love you, too.” They both laid in bed with smiles on their faces and peacefully faded off to sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

The Next Morning

Amanda started stirring but was consciously trying not to disturb Lee. She kept her eyes closed and listened for any movements from the other occupant of the bed. There was no movement, no sounds other than the peaceful, soft breathing.  _ Lee must not be awake yet. I wonder what time it is _ . Amanda thought. Amanda opened her eyes and quickly found out that she was not the first one awake. There before her were two of the most gorgeous eyes she had ever seen, watching her. They both smiled; Lee was the first to speak.

“Good Morning, Beautiful. How did you sleep?”

“Good Morning. I slept like a baby. I don’t think I moved once. And you?”

“It was the best night's sleep I have had in a long time. It must have been the company.”

“How long have you been awake, Lee?”

“Oh, maybe thirty minutes. I’m not for sure. The view was too fabulous to worry about time.”

Amanda blushed. “Thank you, Lee. What time is it?”

Lee rolled over so he could see the clock on the nightstand. When he rolled back over, he was closer to Amanda than before, and the sheets fell further down his chest. Amanda couldn’t help but look at the very chiseled chest staring back at her. “You’re welcome, and the clock says 9:13.”

Amanda sat up with a start. “Oh my gosh. I can’t believe we slept that long. Are you getting hungry?” Lee puckered his lips and gave Amanda a questioning look. “Never mind, you don’t need to answer that.”

“I would make you something, but we really didn’t pick up any breakfast food. Do you want to get ready and go grab something?” 

Leaning back on her elbow, Amanda couldn’t stop herself; she placed her hand on Lee’s chest and absently rubbed her thumb back and forth. “That sounds like a great idea. Do you have any ideas on what we will be doing today? That way, I know how to dress.”

Lee took a moment to answer due to the fact that his body was responding to Amanda’s touch. He stumbled through his response. “Um, I was, um, thinking maybe we would hit the Eiffel Tower today. Depending on how busy it is, it may take a few hours to get through it all. Then we can just walk around. I would wear something comfortable, as well as shoes that are good for a lot of walking. If we get tired, we can always take a cab back.” 

“That’s a great idea. Casual it is.” Amanda was still stroking his chest. “Do you want to jump in the shower first?” 

“Oh, no. You go first. I’m just going to stay in this nice warm bed for a while.”  _ Plus, I need to get my body under control before I get out of this bed _ .  _ I wonder if she realizes what her touch does to me.  _

“Okay, if you say so.” Amanda rolled over, sat on the edge of the bed, grabbed her robe from the headboard, and stood to put it on. She looked over at Lee, still in the same position, and walked towards the bathroom. When Lee couldn’t see her face, she smiled deviously.  _ Let’s see how long you can hold out. If I keep this up, it won’t be long.  _

Lee laid in bed for about another ten minutes, but it was not helping. All he could do was think about how it felt having Amanda touch him. He decided that he would try to get up. Maybe moving would help. He carefully got out of bed and walked to the dresser to get out his clothes for the day. A pair of jeans, a polo shirt, and his tennis shoes. When he heard the water shut off in the bathroom, he quickly grabbed his robe and put it on. Less for Amanda to touch. 

Amanda came out of the bathroom, freshly showered, and still in her bathrobe. She walked by Lee and ran her hand over his shoulders. “The bathroom is all yours.”

Lee didn’t waste any time. He grabbed his clothes and practically ran into the bathroom. “Thanks.”

Amanda just shook her head and finished getting ready. 

Fifteen minutes later, Lee came out of the bathroom and looked for Amanda. Not finding her in the bedroom, he walked out to the living room to see her in what appeared to be her favorite spot. He approached Amanda on the balcony and wrapped his arms around her from behind. Amanda sank into his chest, enjoying the closeness. “Are you ready to go?”

“No,” Amanda firmly responded. Lee looked at her with curiosity. “I’m quite comfortable right where I am.” They both laughed. 

“Come on, Amanda, we need to get moving if we are going to be back in time for dinner,” Lee declared.

“Where are we going for dinner?” 

“Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot to tell you. I ran into Billy and Jeannie yesterday when I was looking for you, and we have a dinner reservation with them to discuss the conference at 6:30.” Amanda turned to face Lee and wrapped her arms around him. 

“Well, then I guess we better get a move on it. The Eiffel Tower awaits no one.” 


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

The Eiffel Tower

After stopping to get a small bite to eat, Lee and Amanda walked through the streets of Paris. Lee loved to watch Amanda react to all the spectacular sights. He himself felt like he was discovering everything for the first time, with the enthusiasm Amanda showed with every detail. As they approached the tower, Lee asked. “So, do you feel adventurous?” Amanda looked strangely at Lee. “There are two ways we can tackle this task ahead of us. There are lifts and stairs that will take us to the second floor of the tower. Which one would you like to take?” 

“Well, I think I can handle the stairs. That way, we can go at our own pace and take our time.”

Lee smiled. “Okay, but to be fair, there are approximately 700 steps to the second floor. It is less crowded, but I wanted to make sure you were aware of what was in front of you with that choice.” 

“What’s the matter Lee, you don’t think you can keep up with me!”

“Challenge accepted.”

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the base of the Tower. Lee purchased tickets while Amanda stood taking pictures of all the sights around her. Lee approached Amanda, “We are all set. You ready?”

“Lee, we don’t have to take the stairs all the way up, do we?” Amanda voiced, now thinking twice about her choice to take the stairs. Lee just laughed and offered her his arm. 

“No, Amanda, we take a lift from the second floor to the top.” Amanda looked at Lee, confused. “A lift, you know an elevator.” Now a look of relief flashed across Amanda’s face. 

After thirty-five minutes of climbing the steps, they finally made it, and the view was spectacular. Lee started supplying Amanda with a few facts from the guide he was given when he purchased the tickets. Amanda snapped pictures. “It says that the tower was built in 1887 and is 1,063 feet tall from the base to the tip.” 

“Wow, I sure am glad we don’t have to walk that. I mean, the stairs were worth the climb because this is gorgeous, but I don't know if I'd have the energy to climb all the way to the top."

Lee just shook his head and smiled. “Are you ready to go to the top? There are some pretty amazing areas up there to look at as well.”

“Let’s go!” Amanda exclaimed. Lee let Amanda walk ahead of him just enough so he could place his hand at the small of her back as they walked to the lifts. They entered the lift, and as it was going up, Amanda was in complete awe with her view. As the lift came to a stop, they stepped out. “Wow, there’s more room up here than I thought there would be.” 

For the next hour, they walked all over the top floor, exploring the office that gave facts about the man who designed the tower, along with various shops available. At one point, they arrived at the side of the Tower that they could see their hotel. Lee took the camera from Amanda. “Here, let me take your picture with the hotel in the background.” Amanda posed, then returned the favor to Lee. After taking a picture of Lee, Amanda was approached by a tourist. “Je peux te prendre en photo ensemble, si tu veux?” Amanda looked at the tourist and then at Lee. Lee answered the tourist, “Oui s’il vous plaît.” Amanda looked confused at Lee as he guided her back into place. “She basically asked if we wanted a picture together, and I said, yes, please.” Amanda nodded; Lee moved behind Amanda and wrapped his arms around her, with her leaning against his chest. Amanda looked back up to Lee and smiled with great love. They both then looked at the tourist as she snapped their picture. “Merci,” Lee stated. “Amanda, I’ll be right back. While we were walking around, I saw something, and I want to go check it out before we leave. You stay right here.” Amanda looked at him with curiosity. “Please, trust me. It’s a surprise.” Lee didn’t wait for an answer and took off. 

Amanda turned back towards the scenery and just took in all the beauty before her as she waited for Lee to come back. Not very long after he left, Amanda saw a glass of champagne appear in front of her from behind. Lee then appeared beside her. “I thought we should toast this occasion.” 

“Where did you get this?” Amanda questioned. 

“There’s a little champagne bar over there. What shall we toast to?”

Amanda thought for a while. Then she held up her glass and suggested, “To the falling of walls.” 

Lee smiled at her, clinked his glass with hers, and took a drink. Lee bent down and delivered a kiss full of passion and promise of things to come. He pulled back to look into her eyes. “To the falling of walls.” They finished their champagne while just enjoying the view and company. “I can’t wait to come back here at night and see all the lights,” Amanda cooed. 

“Are you ready to head back towards the hotel?” Lee asked. 

“So soon,” Amanda interjected sadly. 

“I don’t know about you, but I would like to take a quick shower before dinner. If we leave now, we will still have time to make some stops on the way back.”

“Sounds good to me. I wouldn’t mind a shower myself.” 

They spent the next few hours walking around, stopping every now and then at little shops until they worked their way back to the hotel. They both showered, changed into some fresh clothes, and relaxed until it was time for dinner.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Epicure Restaurant

Billy and Jeannie sat at the table, waiting for the arrival of Lee and Amanda. “So do you think Lee and Amanda were able to get past their fight they had?” Jeannie asked Billy. 

“I don’t know, dear. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Lee so upset. Sure they’ve had arguments, but I don’t recall any of them where Lee admitted that he screwed up. This one might take a while. Let’s just hope that they’re sociable during dinner.”

Jeannie nodded in confirmation. “Oh look, here they come. They look like they’re on speaking terms.”

Lee and Amanda walked up to the table to join Billy and Jeannie, Lee’s hand resting at the small of Amanda’s back. Lee pulled out Amanda's chair for her as she sat down. “Thank you, Lee. Hello, Sir, Jeannie. Have you been enjoying the sights today?”

“Amanda, please, while we’re here, call me Billy. And to answer your question, no, we stayed pretty close to the hotel so far.” Billy looked at Lee with a questioning look. Lee returned a look that confirmed everything was okay. “Lee, Amanda, how are you doing? Have you had any chance to do and sight-seeing?” 

The waiter came up to the table to take their drink orders. “Oh, yes, Si….sorry, Billy. We went to the Eiffel Tower today and stopped at a lot of little shops on the way to and from the tower. Oh, and last night, Lee took me to the Seine River. I think that was my favorite so far.” Amanda smiled at Lee, and they shared a look that only the two of them understood. 

Billy replied, “Oh!” Lee just smiled back. The two ladies continued their conversation, not even noticing the looks between Lee and Billy. “You already went to the Eiffel Tower. Wow! We were going to wait until next weekend to make that trip.”

“We plan on going back at night so that we can see all the lights, but it was so beautiful in the daytime. I can’t wait to see it at night.” Amanda explained. 

Before another conversation could begin, the waiter walked up to take their orders and left without any further interruptions. Billy started the conversation back up. “I wanted to touch base with you to let you know the conference schedule. There’s been a few changes. The morning lectures are only going to be Monday - Thursday 9 am - 12 pm. The afternoon exhibits will start at 1 pm and be open until 4 pm. Friday, the exhibits will be open 10 am -3 pm. One last change, the celebration has moved from Friday night to Thursday night, and because of that, the exhibits will close Wednesday.” 

“Not that I’m complaining that the lectures have been shortened, but did they give you a reason for it, Billy?” Lee questioned. 

“It seems that a few of the speakers weren’t able to make it.” Lee nodded his understanding. “We have a table reserved for us to use throughout the conference, so all we need to do is show up before nine and find our table.” 

Their food arrived, and the foursome began to eat. “Amanda, how is your suite?” Jeannie inquired.

“Oh, it’s gorgeous. I’ve never stayed in a room this nice. Not to mention a suite. We can see the Eiffel Tower from our balcony, and it has a full kitchen. We picked up a few groceries last night. You two should come over some night, and we will eat in. How’s your suite?”

“Oh, ours is lovely. It has a terrace outside that is bigger than the suite itself with flowers everywhere. You two should stop by before you head back to your room when we’re done here.”

“That would be great. What do you think, Lee?” 

“Sounds good to me. Do you have anything for a nightcap, Billy?” Lee questioned. Billy shook his head no. “I’ll grab a bottle before we leave to take with us.”

The rest of the meal was spent talking about the week’s schedule and plans for the evenings. When they were done with their meal, Lee ordered a bottle of wine to go. Billy picked up the check, and the four of them were on their way to Billy and Jeannie’s suite. 

Both men offered their arms to the women as they walked back to Billy and Jeannie's suite. When they arrived, Billy suggested, “Jeannie, why don’t you show Amanda the terrace. Lee and I will get the drinks ready and bring them out.” 

“That sounds like a great idea,” Jeannie agreed. 

Jeannie and Amanda walked to the terrace, and Lee and Billy walked over to the bar in the corner of the living room. “Amanda, I don’t mean to pry but, you and Lee seem to be on pretty good terms at the moment. When we saw Lee yesterday afternoon, Billy and I were very worried about you two.” 

“Well, we did have a pretty big fight. But I believe it was something that had to happen. You know, get everything out and in the open. We are in such a better place right now than we were before.” Lee and Billy walked over with the drinks and handed each of them a glass. 

Billy gestured to Lee to follow him so they could talk privately. “Ladies, pardon us, but Lee and I need to discuss a few things.” Jeannie and Amanda continued their conversation while Billy wasted no time interrogating Lee. “Okay, spill it, Scarecrow!”

“Spill what, Billy? You told me to fix it; it’s fixed,” 

“What, I get no details? You came up to us yesterday, frantic that you screwed up. Now you are fine. No explanation.” The whole time Billy was talking, Lee was staring at Amanda, not really listening to Billy. She was talking with Jeannie very animatedly. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Suddenly, she looked over at Lee. Their eyes met, and everything else disappeared. “Lee, did you hear me?” Billy’s voice brought Lee back to the present. 

“Sorry, Billy, what did you say?”

“I asked what exactly happened.”

“Well, basically, we had a huge fight, we talked it over and agreed that it needed to happen and we needed to get past a few things. Now we’re good,” Lee shortly answered. “Why don’t we go back and join the ladies!”

Billy knew he wasn’t going to get any more out of him, so he settled for the fact that they were talking, and Lee was not being a jerk anymore. When they arrived beside the ladies, Lee put his arm around Amanda’s waist, and it stayed that way until they left. 


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Paris Suite

Amanda and Lee were snuggling in bed after the long day. Lee was surprised that Amanda chose to wear a two-piece pajama set tonight instead of her regular nightgown. The bottoms were capris pants with a sensual camisole top that was silk and black as the ace of spades. “I like your jammies, Amanda,” Lee seductively added. 

“Thank you! I thought I’d try something different.” A short silence was broken. “That was a nice night, wasn’t it, Lee?”

“Yes, it was. I think we did very well at dinner. Billy tried to grill me for information, but all I told him is that we fought, made up, and moved on.” 

“That’s exactly what I told Jeannie.” Amanda paused, “Lee?”

“Hmm-hmm.”

“We are going to tell them we’re seeing each other, aren’t we? Billy and Jeannie are smart people. They will figure it out on their own. I really would like to tell them first. They will both understand. Isn’t that how they got together?” Lee nodded in agreement. “I mean, we don’t have to broadcast it when we get back, but I’m not going to hide it either. I will not hide you from my family,” Amanda demanded.

“Yes, Amanda, we will tell them eventually. I just wanted one more night just for us. And I don’t want to hide from your family either. I don’t think I could stand not being with you when we aren’t at work.”

“Good, because Mother would drive me crazy when we got back. Why hasn’t Lee come over yet? You two didn’t have another fight?”

“Woah, wait a minute. Your Mother already knows about me? When did this happen?”

“Well, when I found out that Billy wanted me to go to this conference, Mother could tell that something was wrong. So we sat down and talked. She could tell I was holding something back, and she wouldn’t drop it. So I told her about you.”

Concern crept up in Lee’s mind. “Did you tell her everything about me?”

“Well, not everything, but I did tell her a lot.” Amanda now saw the concern in Lee’s eyes. “Oh, no. I didn’t tell her anything about the Agency. Just you personally. As far as she is concerned, we both work for IFF.” A look of relief took over Lee’s face. “Actually, she was the one that told me to be truthful with you and tell you how I feel. So I guess you can say she helped bring us together.”

“Well, remind me to thank her when I meet her.” Lee kissed her temple. “So, how do you think we should handle telling everyone?”

“I was thinking about that today. If it’s alright with you, as I mentioned earlier, I would like to keep it kind of quiet at the office for now. I mean, I’m not going to lie, but I don’t want to offer anything either. You know, be vague if anyone asks. I would love to be a full-time agent one day, and I don’t want anyone thinking I slept my way to the top. When we are at the office, we have to be professional. When we walk into the office, we are Scarecrow and Mrs. King. We have to leave Lee and Amanda outside. Does that make sense?”

Lee nodded. “It makes perfect sense, Amanda. Besides, Billy will know, your family will know. That’s all that matters right now.” Lee hesitated, “Um, Amanda, we will be able to pick up Lee and Amanda outside the office as soon as we leave, won’t we?”

Amanda playfully slapped Lee’s arm. “Oh, you!” Lee playfully reacted to her, and they both started to tickle each other. They were both fighting for the upper hand when they stopped with their faces inches apart. Lee leaned forward to claim Amanda’s lips. Amanda responded with fury. Reaching her arms up around his neck, she ran her fingers through his hair. Lee reached his arms around Amanda’s waist and pulled her as close to him as he possibly could. He deepened the kiss and demanded entry with his tongue. Amanda willingly responded, and their tongues began to battle. Lee’s hand moved from Amanda’s waist and slid inside her shirt. Goosebumps appeared on both as their skin made contact for the first time. A soft moan escaped Amanda’s mouth as she moved her kisses down his cheek and to the sensitive spot behind his ear. Lee sighed and slowly moved his hand from her back around the front to her abdomen. Amanda’s hands traveled down his back. “Oh, Lee!” escaped from Amanda’s lips. As Lee’s hand moved up her side, his thumb brushed along her breast. His kisses trailed down her neck and onto her collarbone. Amanda craved more contact. She reached down and slipped her hand under the t-shirt Lee had put on before bed. She pulled on the edge before removing it from him quickly and started to whisper kisses on his naked chest. “Manda!” Lee softly whispered. It was at that point that an alarm went off in Lee’s head. He had to stop; he had to get himself under control. He pushed away from Amanda and looked into her eyes. “Amanda, we have to stop. Don’t get me wrong. This is extremely enticing. But we have to stop, or I won’t be able to.”

Amanda looked deep into those hazel eyes. “Lee, we don’t have to stop. It’s okay.”

“No, Amanda, it isn’t.” This time he separated the two of them and sat back against the headboard to try and get his desire under control. 

Amanda sat up, now worried. “Lee, is something wrong? Do you not want to make love to me? Am I that undesirable to you?”

“Amanda, no! That is not it at all. I just don’t want to rush this. I have my reasons, and it has nothing to do with how I feel towards you. I want to make love to you so badly, but I can’t.”

Amanda moved, so she was facing Lee. “Lee, talk to me. There is more to this than you’re telling me. Are you worried that I won’t live up to the others you’ve been with?”

“What? God no. It has nothing to do with that.” Lee dropped his head. He couldn't look Amanda in the eyes. Amanda lifted Lee’s head with her hand. 

“Lee, please! Talk to me. Trust me to be here for you.” 

Lee smiled. “Oh, Amanda, I love you.” He took a deep breath. “It has to do with my past. You may not believe this, Amanda, but it’s been a long time for me since I’ve been with a woman.”

Amanda sighed with disbelief. “What are you talking about, Lee? You’ve had several dates just in the last month.”

“Yes, I’ve had dates, but that’s all they’ve been. Dinner, maybe a little dancing, but that's it. They never made it further than that.” Amanda still doesn’t believe him. “It was me, not them. Oh, they wanted to, but my heart wasn’t in it. It would have been meaningless sex. I don’t want that anymore. Amanda, when I was on my dates, all I could do was compare them to you. Amanda wouldn’t do this, or Amanda doesn’t act like that. I soon realized that I didn’t want to date anymore. Not if it wasn’t with you.”

“Oh, Lee.” Amanda reached up and wiped a tear that had formed in Lee’s eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner? I wouldn’t have tried so hard to push you. I just thought that with your experience, you wouldn’t want to wait.”

“You mean, you were only pushing me because you thought that is what I wanted? I told you last night that I wanted to wait. Do you really want to, or were you just doing it for me?” Lee questioned, not out of anger, but of worry.

“Lee, I really want to. Trust me; I REALLY want to. Making love to you will not go against my principles. We love each other. I’ve never said that I wouldn’t sleep with a man out of wedlock. I only said that there needs to be real love between a man and a woman before that happens. We have that. Please don’t worry that you will be pushing me into something I don’t want.” 

Lee let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “Amanda, I’m so happy to hear you say that. Can we just agree to take this slow and see what happens naturally?” Lee gave Amanda that sexy Stetson smile. “I mean, that doesn’t mean we can’t explore and have a little fun. You know, get used to each other's bodies. We just need to know when to stop.”

Amanda smiled and moved to lean up against Lee. “I think we can handle that. Maybe we should get some sleep. We have a long day tomorrow.” 

“Ya, that’s probably a good idea. Good night, Amanda.” Lee leaned down and softly kissed her lips.

“Good night, Lee. I love you.”

Lee leaned over to shut off the light and rolled back towards Amanda. “Amanda?”

“Yes.”

“Do you think I can hold you tonight?”

“Yes, I would love that.”

Lee moved over to snuggle up against Amanda. His arm possessively wrapped around her waist as he whispered in her ear. “I love you, too.” They both relaxed in each other's arms and were quickly sound asleep. 


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Monday Morning

Amanda woke up wrapped in Lee’s arms. She could tell he was awake, but he wasn’t saying anything. Amanda turned in his arms to face him. The only thing Lee could do was smile. “Good morning, Amanda.”

“Good morning, Lee.”

“You know, I could get used to this. Waking up with you in my arms. I don’t think I’ve slept this well in a long time, and it has everything to do with you.” Lee leaned down and placed a soft, sweet kiss on Amanda’s lips. 

“I know what you mean. It’s so comfortable sleeping in your arms. It’s like our bodies were made to fit together.” Amanda kissed Lee. “We need to get moving, so we’re not late. Are we meeting Billy and Jeannie for breakfast, or are we on our own?”

“We’re on our own. We may run into them, but we don’t have plans. Why don’t you take a shower first? I'll go start some coffee,” Lee suggested. They got out of bed and started their day. 

About an hour later, they were ready to head down. They stopped at the breakfast shop in the lobby so Amanda could get some croissants for breakfast. They both got another coffee and proceeded to the conference. When they arrived, Billy and Jeannie were already at their table. “Good morning! Ready to get this over with?” Lee declared with annoyance. He pulled out Amanda’s chair, seated her, and then sat down himself. Not even ten minutes later, the lectures started. 

\------------- 

The week started to blur together for the foursome. Same old story, different day. They spent the mornings in lectures and the afternoons walking through exhibits. They spent a few evenings in the lounge, visiting with agents from around the world, building a new network of contacts, and reacquainting themselves with old contacts. The only one that seemed to be enjoying themselves was Amanda. She took notes during every lecture. She even participated in some of the exhibits, much to Lee’s dismay. Before they knew it, Friday had rolled around. Billy had meetings all day with other section chiefs, so Jeannie joined Lee and Amanda at the exhibits. Lee was actually enjoying himself because he got to show off some of his shooting expertise. 

Later in the afternoon, they met up with Billy. He looked like he had been through the wringer. Lee called out his name to get his attention. “Billy, over here.” Billy walked over to the group and gave Jeannie a soft kiss on the cheek. “Man, Billy, don’t take this personally, but you look like hell.”

“And I feel like it too, Scarecrow.” Billy turned his attention to his wife. “Dear, if it’s okay with you, I just want to get room service, take a long shower, and relax in our room tonight. I hope that’s okay?”

“Of course. Let's head up there right now. Lee, Amanda, we’ll talk later.” Lee and Amanda nodded in agreement. 

“Hope you feel better, Billy!” Amanda empathized. 

Lee and Amanda walked into their room. “Well, what do you want to do tonight?” Amanda asked.

“Amanda, if it alright with you, room service sounds good. I would love to take a shower, maybe try out that steam room, and just relax here with you tonight. I’m kind of beat from this week.”

“That sounds like a perfect evening. How about we try out that steam room first. Then we can shower.” Lee gave Amanda a questioning grin. “Separately. We can eat and just relax after that.”

“I’ll get things warmed up and meet you in there.” 

Amanda changed into her swimsuit and grabbed some towels. When Amanda made it to the steam room, Lee was already there. Amanda sat down beside him. “Whew, this feels nice.” Amanda looked at Lee and noticed that all he was wearing was a towel and a smile. She had to catch her breath before she continued. “I can’t believe how much this week took out of me. I mean, it’s not too tough to sit and listen to lectures. It’s not too demanding.”

“Amanda,” Lee interrupted. “Can we please talk about something else other than the conference? I’m in a steam room with the most gorgeous woman in the world. I really don’t feel like talking about work.”

Amanda blushed and responded hoarsely. “Okay, sorry about that. Why don’t you tell me what you have planned for tomorrow?”

“I’ve rented a car. I’m going to take you to a place that you won’t find on any tourist map. I stumbled across it on a mission once, years ago. It’s a secluded little lake with only fields to see for miles. I thought maybe we could pack a picnic and spend the day at the lake. Maybe take a swim.” The whole time Lee was explaining his plans, he ran his hand up and down along her leg, but what he didn’t know was the effect it was having on Amanda. 

“That sounds,” Amanda coughed to get her voice back, ”wonderful, Lee. We can stop at that same store and pick up everything we need for the day.” 

They sat in a relaxed and peaceful state for the next fifteen minutes. Both of them touched each other in some way. Neither of them needed words to relay the love they felt for each other. Lee broke the silence first. “As nice as it is in here, I’m getting a little hungry. What do you say we order some room service, get cleaned up, and go from there?” Amanda nodded in agreement, got up, and grabbed the two dry towels that she hung outside the steam room door. 

An hour later, dressed comfortably in sweatpants and sweatshirts, they finished their dinner. The conversation was light but comfortable. “How about we clean up here, then move this to the balcony with our wine glasses?” Lee suggested. 

“That sounds wonderful. I’ll go fill our glasses if you want to set the tray out in the hall,” Amanda suggested. They worked together like they had been doing this for years, and soon they were cuddled up on the love seat, just reveling in the quiet of the night. The stars were so bright, even with all the lights of the city. Lee absently ran the tips of his fingers up and down Amanda’s arm. This act was driving Amanda crazy. They sat for about another thirty minutes as Amanda filled Lee in with the boys’ summer schedule. She found it hard to keep her concentration. Lee’s feather-light touches drove her crazy, and she was about to fall over the edge. Suddenly, Amanda stood up, grabbed a pillow from the love seat, and stood in front of Lee. Lee looked curiously at her but didn’t say a word. Amanda smiled and threw the pillow on the ground at her feet. She proceeded to kneel onto the pillow and leaned forward to wrap her arms around Lee’s waist, each hand possessively attached to his ass. Lee looked down at Amanda with a raised eyebrow but couldn’t stop her actions. Nor did he want to. With one quick pull, Amanda pulled Lee’s hips toward her. 

“Um, Amanda?” Lee tried to keep his voice calm. 

“Yes, Lee.” Amanda looked up to Lee with seduction in her eyes. 

“May I ask what you’re doing?”

“Exploring” 

“Out here?” Lee questioned. 

“Yes, Lee, right here.” 

Her hands traveled down his legs, which caused his body to instantly react. Her hands moved back up, where she stopped just before reaching her target. She looked at Lee and very lightly ran her hand over his pronounced erection. Lee let out a sigh. She reached for the waistband and pulled at his sweats, pulling them down along with his boxers. Lee raised his hips just enough to help her achieve her goal. Amanda leaned back to create enough space to push his sweats down to his ankles and out of the way. She trailed kisses up the inside of his thigh. She could see Lee’s body react to her actions. Still looking directly at Lee, she took the tip of her tongue and very lightly flicked his engorged cap. Lee sucked in a breath but never broke eye contact. The desire could be seen on both of their faces. 

Amanda moved to the base of his shaft and licked all the way back up to his tip. Without warning, she took all of him in her mouth with one swift motion. Lee couldn’t control his actions. He leaned his head back and moaned at the sensation that Amanda caused. “Oh, Manda! That feels so good. Please don’t stop!” Lee pleaded. He took his hands and ran his fingers through her hair and looked back down at her. He watched her take him in her mouth as she stroked him with her hand. Her other hand was on his ass, squeezing and bringing him deeper into her mouth. It took all Lee had not to thrust in rhythm with her. Amanda would glance every now and then to look at how she was affecting him. Her movements soon sped up, with both hands now encircling his shaft, stroking along with her mouth. She could feel Lee tense up, so she slowed her motions and started to tease him again with just the tip of her tongue. “Manda, you’re driving me crazy. Please don’t tease me.” Lee begged. With that, their eyes met again, then Amanda drove her mouth to cover all of him. Lee sucked in a breath. Up and down, Amanda moved faster and faster, varying the pressure with each stroke. “Oh God, I’m not going to last much longer, Manda.” Lee croaked. Amanda didn’t stop or slow down but moved faster as her hand joined her mouth again. “Manda!” Lee screamed as he hit his climax. To his surprise, Amanda didn’t move but eagerly drank him in. She slowly and softly continued to move up and down until Lee had emptied himself completely into her mouth. She gradually released him, leaned back to pull up his boxers and sweats. Again, Lee raised his hips slightly to help. He then grabbed Amanda’s arms and guided her to his lap. 

“Amanda, that was…...amazing. I can honestly say no one has ever done that…like this...before.” 

Amanda smiled. “You were driving me crazy with your fingers on my arm. I couldn’t take it anymore.”

Lee reached his hand to the back of her head and kissed her so that she knew exactly how he felt. His arm moved under her knees as he lifted her as he stood. He walked into the suite and headed for the bedroom. 

It was now Amanda’s turn to question. “Lee?” She didn’t have to finish her question. 

“It’s my turn to explore,” Lee smiled and wiggled his eyebrows. 

Lee carried her to the bed and placed her down. He climbed in beside her and kissed her on the lips, his tongue not wasting any time. His kisses moved down her neck and stopped at the sensitive spot behind her ear. His hand ran up and down the side of her body until he grabbed her waist and pulled her close. Lee sat up slightly and gently removed her shirt. Pleasantly surprised that she wasn’t wearing a bra, his kisses started at her collarbone and worked their way down until he was at the top of her breasts. His hands moved up her sides, just teasing each modest globe. His thumbs grazed over her nipples. Amanda moaned and arched her back in response. He moved and took her nipple in his mouth. “Lee!” was all Amanda could manage. Lee moved, so he was lying beside her, ran his hand down her abdomen, and slid his fingers into her waistline. His lips followed the path his hand just made down her body. He stroked her over her panties. The smooth feel of the satin enticed his need for more. He could feel Amanda suck in her breath. He slid his hand between her panties and skin. He reached her core and teased her the same way she teased him. He pulled back to look into Amanda’s eyes. “Please, Lee. I need you to touch me.” He sat up so that he could pull down her sweats. He trailed his fingers up and down each leg until he hooked a finger on each hip and pulled her panties down. He positioned himself between her legs and worked his way back up. 

Kisses trailing everywhere but where Amanda wanted them to be. He sucked at her belly button and looked up to meet her eyes. Their eyes never faltered as Lee slipped a finger into her core. Amanda took another deep breath and moaned. Soon a second finger joined. Lee moved his fingers in and out of her while Amanda’s hips moved to assist. She leaned her head back on the pillow. The next thing she felt was his tongue licking her core while his fingers still stroked her. His motions became faster. His left hand soon stroked her, his tongue licked her, and his right hand squeezed her breast. 

Amanda could feel everything start to spasm in her body. She couldn’t take all of the sensations that were happening to her body. She screamed as her body let go. “Lee!” Lee lightened his motions until he could feel Amanda’s body start to relax. He removed his fingers, reached down, and grabbed her panties and sweats. He guided her legs through and pulled them back up her legs. He softly kissed his way back up her body, grabbing her shirt along the way. He guided the shirt back over her head, placed each arm through the sleeves, and gently placed her back down. He laid beside her and pulled her so that she was now next to him. Once Amanda was able to speak, she looked into Lee’s eyes. “Lee that was…..WOW!” She still needed time to get her composure, so Lee talked. “I love you, Amanda. More than anything in this world.” Lee moved their bodies so he could pull the covers over them. They snuggled with no words, and both drifted off to sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Saturday Morning 

Amanda woke with her head resting on Lee’s chest. His arm was wrapped around her like a cocoon. She smiled to herself and thought, _did that really happen last night? Or was it all just a dream._ She placed light kisses on Lee’s muscular chest, hoping to wake him. 

Without opening his eyes, Lee sleepy stated, “You should probably stop that, Amanda, or we’re going to be late picking up our car.” He peeked at her with one eye as she looked up at him. 

“Good morning, Lee.”

“Good morning, Amanda.” He kissed her forehead. “How are you this morning?”

“Hmm, I’m perfect,” she purred. “And you?”

“One of the best mornings ever! I really don’t want to move, but we didn’t get the alarm set last night,” Lee glanced over to the clock as he smiled and remembered the reason why, “so we slept later than I wanted. We should probably get moving. The lake is about an hour’s drive from here.” 

Reluctantly, they both got out of bed and proceeded to get ready for the day. 

\----------

Jeannie and Billy were eating breakfast at the cafe in the hotel. “So, dear, how do you think things went this week?” asked Jeannie.

“They were pretty smooth except for the section chiefs meeting. That was brutal.”

“That’s not what I was talking about, and you know it. Lee and Amanda seemed to have worked out their issues. I don’t think I heard them disagree once. Did you?”

“Now that you mentioned it, I think you’re right. Something is up with those two. They have never gone a week without arguing about something. I hope it's not all for show.” 

Jeannie nodded her head, pointing over her husband's shoulder. “Oh, look, there’s Amanda now. I wonder where Lee is. Should we get her attention?”

Just as Billy was going to get her attention, they saw Lee walk up behind her. He came up to Amanda, put his arm around her waist, and bent down to give her the sweetest kiss. Lee held up a set of keys and said something to her. They both walked out of the hotel; Billy turned back towards Jeannie and smiled. “I think Lee and Amanda are just fine. I believe my plan worked.”

“It does appear like that,” Jeannie confirmed. “Since it looks like Lee and Amanda are going to be preoccupied today, maybe we can try to catch up with them tomorrow. What would you like to do today?”

“Anything you want, my dear. Anything you want,” Billy said with a grin.

\-----------

A little over an hour later, Lee and Amanda made it to the location, and it was all that Lee described. Green fields with wildflowers and trees in every direction you looked. A narrow dirt road led to a clearing, and right in the middle was a lake with a small sandy beach. On their way, they stopped at a local shop and picked up a basket and blanket along with lunch items. They collected everything from the trunk of the car and headed toward the water. On the road, they could see a cloud of dust in the distance and a truck approaching. Lee and Amanda looked at each other with concern. When the driver got out of his truck and waved, Lee sighed with relief. “It's okay, Amanda. That’s Jacque. He owns the property.” Lee met Jacque halfway and took his hand. “Content de te voir mon ami,” Jacque greeted Lee. 

“Good to see you as well. Thank you for letting us come out here. I knew I had to show Amanda your land.” He exclaimed. Jacque went to shake Amanda’s hand. “Oh, I’m sorry, Amanda, this is Jacque. Jacque, this is Amanda.” 

“It’s nice to meet you, Jacque. Your land is beautiful.”

“Thank you, Amanda. It’s nice to meet you. When Lee called asking if I still owned the land and told me about you, I couldn’t say no.” He turned to Lee. “I will leave you two alone; I just wanted to say bonjour.”

“Thanks again. We should be out of here in a few hours.”

“No worries, my friend. Take your time.” They shook hands, and Jacque departed. Lee and Amanda continued toward the lake. They found a spot under a tree right by the beachy area. They put their blanket down. Lee sat down, leaned against the tree, watching Amanda walk towards the water. She walked to the edge of the water, squatted down, and placed her hand in the water. She then shook her hand to get the water off, stood, and walked back to Lee. 

Sitting down on the blanket, she opened the basket and took out some cheese, meat, and crackers. “This is really lovely, Lee. It’s so quiet and peaceful. However, I don’t think we will be swimming today. The water is still really chilly.”

He reached into the basket to grab the wine and glasses. “That’s okay. I thought it might be too early for the water to be warm enough.” They sat for the next twenty minutes or so, snacking and enjoying their time alone. Amanda put their food back in the basket while Lee filled their wine glasses. Once that was completed, Lee grabbed Amanda’s arm and pulled her to him. “Come here, Amanda.” Amanda turned to lean against Lee’s chest as he wrapped his arms around her. “Hmm, that’s better.”

“Yes, it is.”

Lee’s thoughts lingered, trying to figure out how to approach the subject he wanted to discuss with Amanda. “Amanda, can I talk to you about something?”

“Of course, Lee. You can ask me anything.”

“I don’t really know how to start this...but I wanted to talk to you about us. More specifically, when we make love for the first time.” Amanda looked over at Lee without leaving Lee’s arms, smiling that he said when and not if. However, she was a little concerned with his tone. Lee continued as Amanda relaxed back against him. “I know you are aware of my past relationships. But I don’t think you know that every single time I was with another woman, I was responsible. I always protected myself as well as who I was with. Every. Single. Time.” He stressed every word. “I need you to know that.”

“Thank you for sharing that, Lee. If I’m being honest, the thought has crossed my mind.” She never turned to face Lee. It seemed like it was easier for Lee to have this discussion without having to look at her. “It does make me feel better. Not that it would have made a difference, but I appreciate your honesty.”

“Amanda, I want to share everything with you. Every feeling, every thought. I promise you; I will always be honest and faithful to you. I may have had my share of….experiences, but I was always faithful if I was with a woman, I was only with her unless it was something work-related, and I didn't have a choice. I never cheated, and I never went after anyone who was already in a relationship. I will never purposely hurt you.” Lee reached for her shoulders and turned her to face him. He placed his hand gently along her cheek and looked deeply into her eyes. “My love for you will never waiver. I am yours for as long as you want me. I don’t want anyone but you, ever.” He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. 

With tears in her eyes, Amanda could only get out, “Oh, Lee!” She kissed him in return. When the kiss broke, Amanda looked back into Lee’s eyes. “How about forever?” Lee looked at her with a confused look. “You said that you were mine for as long as I wanted you. How about forever?” 

Lee's smile filled his face. “I think that can be arranged.” 

They sat in silence for what seemed like forever, holding each other. Amanda broke the silence. “Lee, since we’re being open and honest, I have to tell you something.” Amanda could feel Lee’s body tense up with her statement. “Remember when I told you it’s been a while since I was with anyone?” 

“Um-hmm.”

“Well, the last person I was with was Joe.” Amanda paused and waited for a reaction but got none. “It has been almost three years since the last time I made love. I’m a little scared that I won’t live up to what you are used to.”

“Well, I wasn’t expecting that. I was sure that you and Dan had been together.” 

“It was Dean, and you know that. I never felt a connection to him to take that step. Did I love him? Yes, I believe I did. But there was just something missing. You know what I mean?”

“Yes, Amanda. I do know what you mean and don’t worry. If what happened between us last night is any indication of what it will be like when we do take that step. I don’t think we have to worry about that.” Lee kissed her hair. “That brings up another concern of mine. I did not come to Paris, um, prepared for anything to happen.”

“Lee, I’m on birth control. I have been since shortly after I had Jamie. I thought about stopping it, but I decided against that. Just to be safe. Especially after Joe and I divorced.”

“I appreciate that information, Amanda, but I still feel like I need to protect us.”

“Sweetheart, that means the world to me. If you feel like you need to protect us in that way, then you do it. But know that I’m okay with either way.”

A huge grin came across his face. _She called me sweetheart._ “Okay.” They both could feel the tension leave each other's body. “What do you say we pack up and head back?”

“Let’s go!” Amanda agreed. Lee put the glasses and wine back in their basket, Amanda folded the blanket, and they walked hand in hand back to the car to make their way back to the city. 

\---------

Lee was dropping off the keys to the rental car, while Amanda was window shopping at the hotel gift shop. Amanda was brought back to the present with a familiar voice. “Well, hello, stranger.”

Amanda turned to see Jeannie standing there. “Jeannie, how are you? Where’s Billy?”

“I’m fine. Billy’s checking his messages. We just got back from sight-seeing. How are you and Lee?”

“We’re fine. Lee took me to a gorgeous lake out of town. We spent the whole day relaxing and talking.” Jeannie had a mischievous smile on her face. _I just bet you did._

“Look who I found, Amanda!” Lee and Billy walked up to join the ladies. “We were just talking about you on the ride back into town. Amanda and I wanted to know if you wanted to join us tomorrow. We are going to visit the Sainte Chapelle and Notre Dame. Do some light shopping, and then we wanted to invite you to dinner in our suite. What do you think?”

Jeannie and Billy looked at each other, and Billy responded. “I think that’s a wonderful idea. What time do you want to get started?” 

“Oh, how about we meet down here around 9:30?”

“That sounds great. See you then.” The four of them rode the elevator together and went their separate ways once they arrived at their floor. “Well, see you tomorrow.” 


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Sunday Morning

Lee and Amanda were sitting on the couch in the lobby when Billy and Jeannie arrived. Lee and Amanda got up and greeted them. “Good morning. Are you ready to go?”

“Good morning, lead the way, Lee,” Billy suggested as he motioned with his arm. The four of them walked out the lobby, only walking for a few minutes, when Amanda pointed across from where they were and stated, “Lee, look, there’s a grocery store we can stop at on the way back for the dinner supplies.” 

“That’ll be perfect, Amanda,” Lee acknowledged. 

They continued to walk for about forty-five minutes before they reached the Sainte Chapelle, making stops along the way at little shops that caught their attention. 

Jeannie and Amanda stopped in their tracks once they arrived at the Chapelle. “Wow!” came from both of them at the same time. They looked at each other and just laughed. They all walked through the Chapelle, marveling at the blueish purple stained-glass windows with gold trim all around. They spent about thirty minutes walking around and reading about the Chapelle’s history before they decided to make their way towards their next stop. 

Another forty minutes had them standing in front of Notre-Dame. Again Amanda and Jeannie were amazed at the beautiful architecture and stained glass. It was a lot bigger than they thought it would be. The guys just walked behind them most of the time in awe at how their ladies looked at everything. The little details that they pointed out that were unnoticed by the men. 

“Ladies, I hate to spoil the party, but it’s getting late, and we still need to stop and get items for dinner,” Lee hesitantly spoke. 

Amanda looked at her watch, “Oh my, it is getting late. You’re right. If we are going to get everything ready, we need to get going. How about we take a cab back to the grocery store?”

“A cab is a wonderful idea, Amanda,” Billy agreed. 

The four of them welcomed the cab ride, and they arrived at the grocery store in no time at all. Lee led the way walking through the aisles, selecting everything that he needed for the meal he had planned for the night. “Amanda, I forgot to grab something. Can you grab a couple of onions? It’s the only other thing I still need. I’ll meet you at the checkout.” 

“Sure, Lee. Do you need two large sized onions or a smaller size?” 

“Probably better get them on the bigger side.”

Lee took off without waiting for any reply. Amanda, Jeannie, and Billy headed back to the produce section to the forgotten onions. They quickly found their quest and headed towards the checkouts. Waiting for Lee, Billy mentioned, “Wonder what’s taking Lee so long.” 

“I think I know where he might be. I’ll go look for him, and you two stay here. At least I won’t lose you.” Amanda chuckled. 

Amanda had a good idea where Lee was, so she took off with determination. When she got to the aisle she wanted, she turned and there he was. Right where she thought he would be. Lee was standing hesitantly, staring at the row of colorfully decorated boxes containing the item he went back for. He wanted to make sure it was just right. He went to grab his selection only to have his hand stopped by another hand. He looked over into the most beautiful, loving eyes. “Amanda, what are you doing?” 

“Lee, don’t. We don’t need this.”

“Amanda, I thought we talked about this yesterday. We decided that if I felt like I needed to protect us, it was my choice.” 

“Yes, we did discuss this, but I changed my mind.” Lee looked at her with disbelief. 

“Lee, listen to me, please. You and I had physicals with the agency doctors not too long ago. We’re both healthy. Since neither of us has been with anyone since our last checkup, we’re safe. I love you for wanting to do this, but when we make love, I want to feel you, all of you, with no barriers.”

“Amanda, are you sure. I’m just trying to be responsible.”

“We are being responsible. We’re both healthy, and I’m on birth control. Trust me”

They look at each other for a long silent time. Lee concedes, “Okay, Amanda, I trust you.”

When they met back up with Billy and Jeannie, they paid for their groceries and headed back to the hotel. “It will take us a couple of hours to get everything done.” Lee looked at his watch. “What do you say you come to our suite around 6:30?”

Billy looked at his watch, as well. “Okay, I am assuming what we are wearing is fine.”

“Absolutely. See you at 6:30.”

\-----------

Amanda and Lee worked together in the kitchen like they’ve been doing it all their life. Amanda would help prep everything for Lee while he would cook. They were putting the finishing touches on their meal when Amanda spoke. “Lee, if you don’t need me right now, I think I’m going to set the table and get things ready out in the dining room.”

“Go ahead, Amanda. I think I can handle the rest of this. Thanks for your help.”

“You bet. I enjoyed it.” She leaned up on her toes and kissed Lee on the lips. 

Amanda set the last glass in place when there was a knock on the door. She went to greet their guest. “Hello, you’re right on time. Come in.” Billy and Jeannie walked in. “Lee is still in the kitchen. Please come on in. Would you like a drink?”

“Yes, that would be lovely. Thank you,” Jeannie responded. 

Amanda went into the kitchen to get the wine. “Billy and Jeannie are here. Do you need any help with anything?” Amanda grabbed the bottle of wine. 

“No, I think I’m good.” Lee grabbed her around the waist and held her tight. “Are you ready for this?”

“I can’t wait to tell them.” They shared a passionate kiss before they met with their guests.

“Dinner is served,” Lee announced as he placed the tray of food on the table. 

Jeannie cooed, “Oh, Lee, this all looks lovely. I can’t believe you did all of this in just a few hours.”

“Thanks, Jeannie, but I didn’t do it all alone. Amanda helped.” He looked at Amanda and gave her a smile that was only meant for her. “Please, everyone, sit down. We have French Onion Soup, Ratatouille, Beef Bourguignon, and for dessert, I have prepared Madeleines. They all sat down while Amanda poured the wine. They talked about everything they saw during the day and discussed all of the things they still want to see next weekend. The conversation was pleasant; Lee was actually enjoying himself having a normal dinner with friends. When everyone was done with their meals, Lee went into the kitchen to get the dessert. He returned with four plates, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream. He set the tray down and asked, “Who wants the works on theirs?” 

“Me.” “Me.” “Me.” Everyone answered at once. Lee just smiled and prepared the plates. Lee sat down and looked at Amanda. He took a deep breath and looked at Billy. 

“Billy, I wanted to talk to you about something if you don't mind. It’s a personal matter.” Billy and Jeannie shared a knowing look. Lee reached over and grabbed Amanda’s hand. “Well, actually, Amanda and I want to talk to you. We wanted you to know that Amanda and I are officially in a relationship. It happened that first night we were here after our fight. We discovered that all of our bickering was just an escape to avoid our true feelings for one another. Amanda already talked to her mother about me but they still believe we work for IFF, and it’s going to stay that way, for now anyway. We want to continue to work together, and we’re going to prove to you that we can be professional at work. Actually, we aren’t going to tell anyone at work. We are going to be as vague as we can be without lying. We are hoping to have your blessing and support on this.” Lee let out a breath and smiled when he saw Amanda’s acknowledgment. 

Billy looked at Lee for a while in silence. “Lee, Amanda, I couldn’t be happier to hear this news.”

They both exhaled. Lee continued, “You had me worried there for a moment, Billy. When you didn’t say anything, I thought, well, I guess I didn’t know what to think.” 

“Sorry, Lee, I was in shock for a while. Not about the news, but in regards to that you said that with one breath. Amanda is starting to rub off on you.” They all laughed. Billy raised his glass to offer a toast. “To new beginnings.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Later that Night, Paris Suite

Lee and Amanda were in their favorite sweats finishing up the dishes from dinner. Lee put the last dish in the cupboard. “What do you want to do now?

Amanda reached her arms around his waist. “How about we go snuggle in bed? I'm so tired. I don’t want to have to move once I’m in your arms.” 

“I’ll carry you anywhere, whenever you're tired,” Lee gave her that famous Stetson smile. “But I agree, I’d rather be in bed with you.” He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss, and they both headed for the bedroom. 

Lee turned down the bed before they both crawled in. Lee’s arms were wrapped around Amanda. Lee reached up and moved Amanda’s hair off her shoulder. He leaned down and softly kissed the spot he just exposed. Amanda sighs, “That feels nice, Lee.”

“Oh, you like that, do you? How about this?” He moved to nibble on her ear.

“Yes, I like that very much.” 

Suddenly Lee got out of bed and walked to the closet. He disappeared, leaving Amanda wondering why he stopped and what he was doing. Lee came back into the bedroom with one of his ties. He smiled at her as he walked by into the bathroom. He returned and sat down beside Amanda on the bed and asked. “Amanda, do you trust me?”

“With my life, Lee!”

“Good. I would like you to move into the center of the bed and sit there.” Amanda looked confused. “You did just say you trusted me, did you not?” Amanda nodded yes and moved into the middle of the bed sitting Indian style. Lee sat directly behind her, ran his fingers through her hair, gathered it together and placed the scrunchy around her hair he got from the bathroom. When he was satisfied with his ponytail, he reached around her head with his tie and placed it over her eyes like a blindfold and tied it off, careful not to catch any of her hair at the same time. He placed his hands on her shoulders and began to massage them. 

“Hmm, that feels great,” Amanda cooed. Next to her right ear, she heard Lee’s soft whisper.

“I’ll be right back.” In her left ear. “Don’t move an inch.”

Amanda wondered what’s going on. She wanted to take the blindfold off but didn’t want to ruin whatever Lee had planned, so she used her other senses to try and figure out what he was doing. She felt him get off the bed and walk away. She could hear him moving around, but the sound was muffled.  _ Maybe the kitchen, perhaps the living room. Maybe both. _ He was definitely out of the bedroom. She heard his footsteps coming back towards her and then by her again into the bathroom. Hearing nothing that will give her any clues to what he was doing in there, footsteps again walked beside her. Noises by the nightstand got her attention, but she couldn't figure out what they were. The bed moved. He sat back down behind me. “Amanda, raise your arms for me.” She complied and felt her sweatshirt being pulled up over her head. “Okay, you can put them back down. Thank you!” He kissed her shoulders softly. Strong hands lightly grazed where he kissed her then down her back. Amanda arched her back in a natural response. The sensation of flesh on flesh set her skin on fire as arms wrapped around her and large hands possessed her breasts.  _ His shirt is off as well.  _ Slight panic ran through her mind. Amanda reached back, touching Lee’s sides, moving down to feel that his sweatpants were still in place. Those same strong hands moved from their previous place and grabbed hers, and she heard. “Yes, both of our pants are still on, and they will stay that way.” She could feel his breath on her ear. “Trust me. No more touching, please!” 

“Oh my!” was all Amanda could muster. 

Not being able to see was driving her crazy, but she was loving every minute of it. She felt Lee’s tongue lick his way across her shoulders then a light breeze, causing instant goosebumps and a slight shiver. Kisses trailed down the middle of her back. The path was reversed until the side of her neck was being attacked. Then the other side. Hands on her shoulders gently laid her down on her back.  _ That’s not the sheets. He must have put something on the bed. Hmm, maybe towels. _ He moved to the side of her. She could feel his breath along her collarbone. “You’re so beautiful, Amanda,” he whispered in her ear. Kisses made a path from her ear to her mouth. Their tongues dueled, Amanda instantly grabbed Lee’s head. Hands immediately grabbed her hands and replaced them along her side. She heard a husky voice, “I said no more touching. You are to do nothing. Do you want your hands to be tied up, too?” She shook her head, no. “Good, now just relax and enjoy.” Again, she shook her head, but this time in a yes motion. There was nothing for what felt like forever. No movement on the bed, no sounds, nothing. With a sharp intake of breath, Amanda felt something cold on her abdomen. Something running down her sides. A tongue lapping up what was just dropped on her. Sucking on her skin and kisses covered her belly and sides. That same liquid now felt on her breasts, now a swooshing sound on her nipples.  _ Aw, whipped cream. Now I can smell the chocolate. _ Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by a mouth on her left nipple. Sucking everything up. The same now happening to the other. “Oh, Lee!” escaped Amanda’s lips. 

“Relax, baby.” She heard softly in her ear. Then on the other side as he nibbled on her ear. “I need you to come for me, baby.” 

“Lee, I need you to touch me.”

“I am touching you, Manda.”

“I need you to touch inside me.”

“No, Amanda, you don’t need me to touch you there. Just relax.”

She felt her legs being separated, and she could feel Lee now between her. She felt his hands beside her shoulders. His breath only inches away from her lips. Now she felt Lee press his hips against hers. 

His voice was flushed with desire. “Can you feel what you’re doing to me? How hard I am for you right now?

“Yes.”

“You can do this, baby; I know you can.”

The pressure of his body is not as strong as it was before, and one hand was gone. She jumped with excitement to the cold sensation that encircled one nipple, now the other, followed but possessive sucking. She could still feel the coldness.  _ Ice cube in his mouth _ . “Oh my gosh!!”

The coldness disappeared sooner than she wanted as a soft velvety touch replaced it, skimming slowly across every inch of her torso. Amanda involuntarily moved her body to deepen the feeling. “Oh, Lee, yes!” She could feel her climax approaching. The sensation of Lee’s body returned on top of her. His hand now covering her taut nipples forcefully, his mouth assaulting hers. His lips traveled to the sensitive spot on her neck. “Yes, Manda, you’re almost there. Let go.” His lips traveled to the opposite side. “I love you, Amanda. I always will.” Amanda didn’t know if it was sensory overload or hearing those words, or both, that sent her over the edge as she screamed out his name and finally gave way to her release. “Lee! Lee!” 

“Oh my god, Manda,” she barely heard over her own screams. She could feel the pulsing of his erection as he released at the same time. Then again, nothing. No sound, no movement. Soon, a feather-like kiss was felt along her face, his pressure moved off to the side, and she felt the blindfold pulled off her eyes. 

For the first time in what seemed like forever, she could see the love and desire in Lee’s eyes. “Lee, that was amazing. I never knew….” Her words were cut off with Lee’s lips on hers, devouring her, his hand tangled in her hair.

Lee broke the kiss. “I hope you enjoyed your treat,” Lee devilishly smiled. 

“I did, very, very much. But from the sound of it, you got a little treat out of it as well.” 

Smiling, Lee countered, “Well, what do you expect? I am a man, and you are simply breath-taking. It’s all your fault, you know.” 

Amanda playfully slapped his bare chest. “Okay, I was able to figure them all out except the last one. What was that?” 

“Oh, so you think you figured them out, huh? Well, enlighten me.”

“The first one took me a while, but as soon as you used the whipped cream, I knew it was the chocolate.” Lee nodded proudly. “The third was the easiest. It was an ice cube, but I do have to say that using it in your mouth instead of your hand definitely added to the sensation.”

“So far, that’s three for three. Any guesses on the last.”

Amanda shook her head. “Lee, I have no idea.”

Lee rolled over and grabbed something off the bed. When he rolled back, he held the item up for Amanda to see. “Oh my gosh, a lily. I would have never guessed that. I can’t believe that a flower would make that feeling.” Lee lightly ran it across her still exposed belly, causing her to shiver again. “Okay, okay, I believe it.” 

Lee chuckled and placed the Lily down. “I, um, need to go get cleaned up and put this stuff back. I’ll be right back.” Lee kissed her quickly and rolled off the bed, headed to grab his pajama pants, and a fresh pair of boxers. 

Amanda got up and started to pick up the items from the bed, “I’ll put the stuff away, sweetheart, you shower, then I need to rinse off as well. I’m a little sticky for some reason.” She picked up a tie from one of the robes in the bathroom, holding it up for Lee to see. “Um, Lee. What was this for? I don’t remember this.” 

Lee looked back before he entered the bathroom, and decisively stated, “That was to tie your hands if you wouldn’t keep them to yourself.” He winked and walked into the bathroom.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Friday Morning - The Conference

The week of lectures and exhibits flew by, which made Lee very happy. It was Friday morning, and there was an exhibit that Amanda wanted to participate in, but Lee was not too happy about it. 

“Amanda, are you sure you want to do this? I don’t want you getting hurt,” Lee expressed with concern.

“Yes, Lee. If I want to be a full-time agent someday, this is exactly what I need. This exercise will help with entering an unknown situation and how to get out of it. I need this experience when the danger isn’t real.”

Billy broke in, “Lee, Amanda’s right. This is perfect for her. She will get to run through an unknown scenario, with a fake gun, with surprises jumping in at her from everywhere. She needs to know what it's like out there.”

“But, Billy, you know this is nothing like the real thing.”

Amanda placed her hand on Lee’s arm. “Lee, please. I want to do this.”

Lee looked into Amanda’s eyes and knew he couldn’t say no to her. “Okay, but you be careful. They are going to throw everything there is at you. You have to be ready for the unexpected.”

Amanda nodded and walked away. Lee, Billy, and Jeannie walked up to the observation deck and found their seats. Lee was nervous for Amanda. “Relax, Lee, Amanda will be just fine. Trust her instincts. From what Billy tells me, she has pretty good ones,” Jeannie reassured him. 

Lee gave a slight grin and looked back towards the warehouse below him. The door opened, and Amanda walked in. “Okay, here we go. You can do this, Amanda,” Lee whispered to himself.

\----- 

Amanda entered the warehouse after she received her mission assignment. She was to find the hostage and extract her. After entering the warehouse, she quickly hid behind some boxes to allow her eyes to adjust to the darkness. She took a deep breath and softly spoke, “Don’t worry, Lee, I’ve got this.” She scanned the warehouse. There were boxes and pallets all around. The stairs to the second floor were directly in front of her, about 40 feet away. There was a clear path to the stairs, but she knew it was not the way to get there safely. Not only were there “bad guys,” but there were also traps along the way. The first trap she spotted quickly. There was a small tripwire right at the base of the stairs. She made a mental note to step over that. She once again looked over her options, devised a plan before she executed. She weaved and ducked her way to the stairs, effectively missing all of the traps. Now to get up to the second floor, find the hostage and get out. She carefully stepped over the wire and made her way up. Once there, she hid in a doorway to survey the second floor. 

\-----

Billy and Lee smiled at each other with great pride when Amanda made it to the second floor without any problems. They turned their attention back to the warehouse. Lee whispered to himself again, “That’s my girl. Now watch your back.”

\-----

Amanda looked down the hallway. There were three rooms on the left and two on the right. She couldn’t hear any noises coming from any of them. She took a deep breath and started to move.  _ Watch your back, Amanda. _ With cat-like moves, she worked her way down the hall. The first two rooms were empty, with no traps. The third one, she noticed that someone was standing by the door. She saw the light under the door blocked by something large. She moved up to the room and peered in through the window in the door. Seeing nothing put her on edge. She knew someone was in there. She proceeded down the hall and ducked behind a file cabinet. She heard the door open. A man peeked out of the room and looked around. Not seeing anything, he turned back into the room. Amanda took this opportunity to grab the planted pot on the file cabinet and smashed it onto the back of his head, knocking him out. She pulled his limp body the rest of the way into the room and shut the door, leaving him inside. She returned to the hallway and moved to the next room where she could hear the hostage and the kidnapper talking. She walked to the last room to make sure there weren't any surprises waiting for her there. It was clear. She went back to try and come up with a plan. She wasn't sure what she was going to do, but she knew nothing would happen unless she went into the room. She pulled the gun from her waistband. She paused, still not comfortable with guns, took a deep breath, busted in the door with her gun drawn. “Hold it right there!” The kidnapper turned quickly with his gun raised. He shot just missing Amanda. She dove behind the desk, avoiding another bullet. The kidnapper came around the desk and lunged for her. Amanda stepped to the side, grabbed the lamp off the desk, and swung, hitting him along the side of his head. He was knocked down, but Amanda knew he wasn’t out, only stunned. She ran to the hostage. “Hurry up, get me out of here,” the hostage cried. Amanda quickly untied her, and they started for the door. “We’ve gotta get down the stairs and get out of here before he wakes up,” she continued. Just outside the door, Amanda froze. She looked at the hostage, confused. Suddenly, it dawned on her. She turned to the hostage and raised her gun. “Get back in the room, now!” she commanded. “Now sit down!” The hostage sat down, and Amanda proceeded to tie her back up. “What are you doing?” the hostage screamed. “You’re no hostage,” Amanda declared. She looked around the room and noticed light in the crack of the wall. She ran over to the wall and pushed. The wall suddenly opened and there, before her, was the real hostage. A young woman dressed in simple jeans and a t-shirt. She had a distraught look on her face. Amanda hurried over to her. “Are you alright? Can you walk?” She nodded yes, and together, they proceeded to the door. When the hostage turned to go down the hallway, Amanda grabbed her and pulled her towards the window. “Come this way. That way is blocked.” Amanda helped her out the window, climbed out herself, and they both went down the fire escape. 

\-------

Billy, Jeannie, and Lee watched in awe. They were all so proud of Amanda on how she handled herself. They looked concerned when Amanda went out the window instead of back down the stairs, wondering why she chose that route. Suddenly the lights came back on, and a voice came over the loudspeakers, “Well done, Mrs. King. Your objective was a success.”

\-----

Billy, Jeannie, and Lee met up with Amanda back downstairs. “Amanda, well done. Very impressive,” Billy congratulated her. 

“Thank you, Sir.” Amanda smiled hesitantly. “Sorry, I feel like I’m on the job. I hope that was okay?”

“That’s just fine, Amanda.”

All Lee could do was just stare at Amanda, with a grin on his face that showed how proud he was of her. He wanted to take her in his arms and show her how proud he was of her, but this wasn’t Lee and Amanda time. This was Scarecrow and Mrs. King. “Amanda, how did you know the first one wasn’t the real hostage?” 

“Well, I started getting a little worried when the hostage didn’t look right.” The three of them looked at her with questioning looks. Others that were there to watch walked closer to hear her response. “She didn’t look like a person should when being held hostage. Then, when she practically told me which direction to go, was the next red flag. Last I saw the door to the room slightly cracked where I left the first guy. I knew he wasn’t knocked out anymore and had to be waiting for me downstairs since that’s where she told me to go.”

“Impressive!” Jeannie proudly stated. 

“When I got back in the room, I saw a small crack in the wall with light shining through it. I figured it was a false wall and took a chance. I knew we couldn’t go back down the stairs. That’s when I headed for the window. I knew there was a fire escape there because I saw it before I entered the warehouse.” 

Billy started, “Well, I believe that deserves some kind of celebration. What do you say, we cut the exhibits short and go celebrate?” 

“Sounds like a great idea, Sir.”

“Thanks, Billy.” Lee and Amanda answered at that same time.

\-------

“That was a nice end to our day,” Amanda announced as they walked into their suite and straight to the bedroom.

“Yes, it was. Remind me again what time we’re meeting them in the morning?

“Um, Jeannie said around 9 am again.” Amanda bent over to get her pajamas out of her dresser and winced when she stood up. That sound immediately got Lee’s attention.

“Amanda, are you okay?”

“Yes, just a little sore. Nothing to worry about.”

“Where does it hurt?”

“It’s my back. I think I tweaked it when I went out the window.”

“Amanda, why didn’t you tell me you were hurt? We would have come back here, instead of spending all day with Billy and Jeannie. Let me see. Show me where it hurts?”

“Lee, it’s not that big of a deal. Just a sore muscle. A good night’s sleep, and I’ll be fine.”

“Nuh-uh. You are going to go sit in the steam room for a while. Then I’m going to give you a massage. Then straight to bed for you. Did you pack any aspirin?”

“Lee, I said it’s no big deal. Please don’t fuss over me.”

“Nope. I’m going to start the steam room. You get ready.” Not giving her a chance to answer, he walked into the bathroom to start the steam. He went to Amanda’s bathroom bag to look for the aspirin. He saw Amanda walk behind him in the mirror, and they smiled at each other. 

Amanda sat in the steam room, relaxing. The steam was actually helping her sore muscles, and she was glad that Lee suggested it. Lee peeked his head in the room, “I can’t find any aspirin. I’m going to run down to the gift shop and see if they have any. Do you need anything else?” Amanda just shook her head, too relaxed to even speak. “Okay, I set the timer for fifteen minutes in case I’m not back by then.” Again she nodded with no words. 

Fifteen minutes later, Amanda walked into the bedroom, feeling better already. When she saw the bedroom, she froze. Candles were the only light source, the bed had been turned down, and towels laid on the sheets. Lee was in his pajamas, and Amanda’s were lying on the bed waiting for her. Lee walked up to her, handed her a glass of water and two aspirin. She took the aspirin and asked, “Lee, what’s all this?”

“I told you that I would give you a massage. If you get a massage, the atmosphere has to be just right in order to relax. Now go put on her pajama bottoms, lay down, and relax. Please!”

Amanda leaned up, gave him a quick kiss, and grabbed her pajama bottoms. Lee watched as she positioned herself on the towels he laid out. He walked over, sat down beside her, and grabbed the oil he purchased when getting her aspirin. He rubbed the oil in his hands first to warm it and started to work his magic on her sore muscles. 

“Hmm, that feels nice,” Amanda hummed.

“Good, I’m glad. I really wish you would have told me about this. I knew you were going to get hurt doing that exercise.”

“Lee, it's a sore muscle. It’s no big thing. I’m not hurt, just sore.”

“Well, I still wish you would have told me.” Lee continued to work out all the knots in her back for the next hour. He grabbed a towel to wipe his hands. “Amanda, I’m done.” Not getting an answer, he bent down and noticed that she had fallen asleep. He stared at her for the longest time before gently placing her pajama camisole on. He rolled her slightly to remove the towels from the bed and tucked her in. He took the towels and oil into the bathroom, washed his hands, walked around, and blew all the candles out. He crawled into bed, placed his arms around Amanda, and instinctively she snuggled into him. He smiled and gently kissed her hair and closed his eyes.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Saturday Morning

The foursome met the next morning. “What’s the plan for today?” Billy asked Lee. 

“Well, I thought we could walk to Jardin des Tuileries. It’s about a mile and a half from here, but we can do some shopping along the way. We can take our time today. The only thing we have to watch the time on is to make sure we are at the Eiffel Tower before dusk. It’s best if we are already on the top right before the sun goes down so we can watch all the lights come on.”

“That sounds like a relaxing day,” Jeannie said. 

The two couples walked hand in hand down the streets of Paris, stopping at various shops that caught their attention. “Oh my, Jeannie, isn’t this gorgeous?” Amanda asked while she was pointing to a dress in a window of a shop they passed by. 

“Yes, it is, Amanda.”

Lee looked up at the name of the shop, Hayari Paris, and suggested, “Why don’t we all go in to see what they have.” They walked in as the ladies took off on their own, stopping at every rack. Billy had taken advantage of the downtime to rest his feet, spying a bench near the dressing rooms. Amanda and Jeannie were talking about how beautiful all the dresses were when Amanda looked over to see Lee speaking with the dress shop worker.  _ I wonder what he’s up to. _ Lee was talking animatedly. He pointed over to Amanda, then turned his attention to the store employee. When he finished talking with her, he turned to where Billy was sitting and walked up to him. “Hey Billy, it looks like the ladies are going to be here for a while. There’s a store I want to go back to that I saw on the way. Can you do me a favor and make sure they’re not done before I get back?”

“Sure, what do you have planned?” Billy asked suspiciously.

“Nothing, really. I just wanted to take a look and see if I can find what I’m looking for.” Without further explanation, Lee walked out of the store and back down the street. 

Amanda watched the interaction between Billy and Lee and watched him walk out the door.  _ Where does he think he’s going _ ? Amanda’s thoughts were interrupted by the store employee. 

“Excusez-moi ladies, my name is Belevia. Would you like to try any of the dresses on?” she asked with a heavy accent. 

“Oh, no, thank you. I’m just looking,” Amanda answered.

“Come on, Amanda, let's have some fun. It’s not going to hurt anything if we just try some on,” Jeannie begged. “Maybe we can find something for the celebration on Thursday.”

“I brought a dress for that. Plus, these dresses are much too expensive for me, I’m afraid,” Amanda replied apologetically. She shyly shrugged with a sad look on her face. 

“Madame, I was to inform you that you are to pick any dress you want. Monsieur has already taken care of the bill.”

“I can’t. That is way too much.”

“He insisted,” Belevia confirmed. 

Amanda looked at Jeannie with a questioning look. “Okay, let’s see if I can find something.”

The ladies tried on several dresses. Amanda liked a lot of them, but she just hadn’t found ‘the’ dress. Jeannie, on the other hand, had already found her dress and joined Billy on the couch. 

“Madame, I believe I know a dress that will be perfect for you. Would you mind if I make a suggestion?”

“Not at all, please,” Amanda practically begged her. 

Belevia walked back to the far corner of the shop, looked through a few dresses, found the one she wanted, and walked back to Amanda. She handed the dress to Amanda. Amanda looked at it, smiled, and headed for the dressing room. 

While Amanda was in the dressing room, Jeannie leaned over to Billy and asked. “Billy, where did Lee go? Amanda didn’t say anything about him sneaking out, but I could tell she was curious as well.” 

“I’m not for sure, dear. He wouldn’t tell me. Just that he saw a shop that we passed that he wanted to go back to.” Billy then looked up to see Amanda walk out of the dressing room. Billy and Jeannie both gasped. 

“Amanda, it’s gorgeous.” They both said at the same time. 

Amanda’s grin said all that was needed to say. “I love it!”

“It was made for you. Shall I bag it up for you?” Belevia asked. Amanda looked at herself in the mirror one more time and nodded yes. “I will get both of your dresses ready and will have them delivered to your hotel for you. Monsieur stated that you have other stops to make.”

“That would be lovely, thank you!” Amanda stated. Amanda went back to the dressing room to change. As she entered the dressing room, Lee walked back into the shop. 

Billy looked Lee up and down but didn’t notice him carrying any bags. “Did you find what you were looking for,” Billy inquired. 

“I sure did,” Lee said with a mischievous grin. “How about you? Did you ladies find a dress?” 

“Yes, we both did,” Jeannie happily answered.

Lee looked at Billy with an impressed look. “Nice going, Billy. Where’s Amanda?”

“She’s changing. She should be out shortly,” Jeannie barely got the words out before Amanda walked up to them and put her arm around Lee. 

“Where did you sneak off to?” Amanda curiously asked Lee.

“Nowhere special. I just wanted to check something out.” Quickly changing the subject. “I heard you found a dress. Can I see it?”

“No, you cannot! I want to surprise you.” Lee showed a slight disappointment in his eyes. “Thank you, by the way. You didn’t have to buy me a dress. These are very expensive.” She leaned up to give him a soft kiss.

“You’re very welcome, Amanda. I’d buy you the moon if I could.” 

Belevia walked up to the group, handed Lee a bag, and stated, “You’re all set. Everything will be in your suites by the time you get back. Thank you for stopping in.” They all said their thank yous and left. 

Once they were out of the shop, Amanda spoke. “Lee, what did she hand you in there? You weren’t even in the store for more than five minutes.”

Lee just smiled and said, “You have your surprises. I have mine.” 

Frustration showed on Amanda’s face, but if Amanda has learned anything these past two weeks, it was to trust him. They continued their walk towards Jardin des Tuileries. Twenty minutes later, they arrived. “Oh my gosh!” Amanda exclaimed. 

“My thoughts exactly, Amanda,” Jeannie confirmed. 

Lee walked up to a plaque at the entrance and read the facts about the garden. “It says it was created in 1564 by Catherine de’ Medici on her personal property. It was opened up to the public in 1667 and became a public park after the French Revolution.” They continued to walk down the path. “Amanda, I bet your mother would love it here. I’m sure she could tell us the names of most of these flowers.”

“You’re probably right, Lee. She loves her flowers,” Amanda confirmed.

Billy and Jeannie gave each other a look, not believing what they heard from Lee. This is not the Lee they knew but were very happy with the change. Billy thought to himself; I _ knew she would be good for him. I’m glad I put them together.  _ They continued until they walked up to a large circular fountain. Lee saw a small cafe off to the side. “Is anyone hungry? There’s a cafe over there. We can get something to eat and then continue through the rest of the park.” They all agreed and walked to the cafe. 

After a quick lunch, they returned to exploring the garden, taking pictures, and enjoying the relaxed atmosphere, spending time away from work with friends. A few hours later, they walked up to a giant Ferris wheel. Lee practically jumped out of his skin. “Amanda, come on, let’s go on this.” 

Amanda looked up and up at the towering Ferris wheel. “I don’t know, Lee. That’s pretty high up there.”

“I know. I bet we can see the whole city from there. Billy, Jeannie, you’re coming too?” 

Jeannie and Billy looked at each other and silently agreed. “We’re in!” Billy answered for them. The three then looked at Amanda with anticipation. 

Amanda looked up one more time and took a long deep breath. “Ah, okay. We are in Paris. I’m in.”

Lee smiled and exclaimed. “Tickets are on me. I’ll be right back.”

The four of them entered the basket. Billy and Jeannie on one side, with Lee and Amanda on the other. The wheel started to move. Amanda grabbed Lee’s arm, forcefully. “I don’t know about this, Lee. Is it too late to get off?” The look that she gave Lee had him worried that he made a mistake. He placed his hand on hers. 

“Amanda, are you okay?” Lee looked over to Billy and Jeannie with a worried look. They shrugged their shoulders, not for sure what to do. By this time, they had reached the top of the ride, and Lee watched as Amanda’s eyes went from worry to exhilaration. “Um, Amanda, please say something. Are you okay?”

“Oh, Lee, I’m more than okay. Look at this view!” Lee took his eyes off Amanda to see what Amanda was talking about. He smiled, placed his arm around her shoulder, and sat back to enjoy the rest of the ride. The ride ended too soon for Lee as they exited the basket. “Wow, I’m so glad you talked me into that, Lee.”

“I was kind of worried that I made a big mistake there at first. You scared me.” Amanda shrugged her shoulders with a look of sorrow in her eyes. There was a slight wince when she shrugged, and it did not go unnoticed by Lee. 

Lee grabbed her arm and placed his free hand on her back. “Amanda, are you okay? Is it your back? I knew you hurt yourself yesterday.” 

Billy, with a concerned tone, asked, “Amanda, what is Lee talking about? When did you hurt yourself?”

“It’s nothing, Billy. Lee is just being overprotective. My back is a little sore from the exercise yesterday. I tweaked my back a little when I went out the window. And as I told Lee last night, I’m not hurt. It’s just a sore muscle. I just need to drink more water to keep hydrated and stretch some more. I’ll be fine.” 

Lee looked at Amanda, still not believing that she was okay, looked at his watch, and stated. “How about we go find a cab and head to the Eiffel Tower. It will give Amanda’s back some rest, as well as our feet. That way, it will give us plenty of time to get to the top of the tower before the lights start coming on.”

They all agreed that it was a smart idea. Billy hailed the first cab they saw. Lee continued to rub Amanda’s back as best he could in the confines of the cab, still needing that confirmation that it was indeed just a sore muscle. 

They made it to the top of the Eiffel Tower with plenty of time to spare. They all got a glass of champagne at the bar and talked about the best place to be to see the lights. Once they decided on where they wanted to be, they made their way over. They stood and talked about their day, snapped pictures of everyone, and a tourist even took photos of all four of them as they waited until dusk. Jeannie was the first to notice the lights. “Oh, look, everyone. The lights are starting to come on.” They stood in awe as the city below them transformed right before their eyes. It truly was an amazing sight. About forty-five minutes later, they worked their way down the tower and grabbed a cab back to the hotel. 


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Paris Suite

“Wow, what a day! I had such a lovely time, spending the day with Billy and Jeannie in Paris as friends and not boss/employee for a change,” Amanda said as she walked into the bedroom. “I think I’m going to sit in the steam room for a little. It helped so much yesterday. Do you want to join me?”

“I think I will join you. Is your back still bothering you?”

“Yes. My back, my feet, my legs, even my arms are tired after today. I just want to relax for a few minutes.” She smiled to reassure him that she was just tired.

“Okay, okay, I get it. You're not hurt. I’ll drop it. I just worry about you, and I want to protect you.”

“I know, Lee. And I love you for it.” She leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Now, go start the steam room.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Lee gave her a little salute with a wink and walked into the bathroom.

They sat in the steam room in comfortable silence, letting the steam work its magic on their tired muscles. “So, what do you want to do tomorrow?” Lee asked. 

“Well, if it’s alright with you, I’d like to relax tomorrow. Jeannie is spending most of the day in the spa, and she invited me to join her. She said Billy didn’t want to join her, so she would like some company. She has a full spa package for two to get a manicure, pedicure, facial, and massage.”

“I thought you liked my massage,” Lee asked with a little disappointment in his voice. 

“Oh, I loved your massage. But if I remember correctly, the actual massage part didn’t last very long,” she blushed shyly. 

“No, it didn’t, did it.” Lee gave her that smile that was only for her. “I’ll do better next time.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

“A spa day for the ladies sounds fun. What will Billy and I do while you ladies are being pampered?”

“Whatever you two want to do, sweetheart, whatever you want to do.” She placed her hand on his cheek. “Now, we better get out of here before we turn into prunes.” The two of them left the steam room.

“Amanda, I’m going to jump in the shower real quick.”

“Okay, Lee. Take your time. I’ll be in the bedroom.” They both went their separate ways. About ten minutes later, Lee finished up in the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror, standing only in his boxers. “Damn, I forgot my pajamas in the bedroom. Oh well, she’s seen more of me than this.” He smiled to himself and left the bathroom. When he shut off the light and moved into the bedroom, he was surprised. The room was lit up with only candles. Just like he did for Amanda last night, he looked over to the bed, and there in the middle of the bed was his Amanda. She was wearing a silky red nighty with lace in all the right places. Lee’s breath caught in his throat, while Amanda was lost in the sight of Lee standing there in just his boxers. Lee’s voice brought her back to the present. “Amanda! What’s all this?”

“Well, I thought that since you are going to miss out on a massage tomorrow, I thought I’d give you one. And someone once told me that if you are going to get a massage, the atmosphere must be just right.”

“Well, that someone is absolutely right. It also makes a difference who is giving the massage, and I would much rather have your hands all over me than a stranger. Let me grab my pajamas. I’ll……”

“No, Lee. Come here, just like you are.” Amanda patted the bed where she laid down towels on the bed as well. Lee walked towards the bed without a word. He started to lay down but asked first. “Do you want me on my stomach or back?”

“Stomach, please.”

Lee laid down on his stomach, with his hands up under his pillow. Amanda sat up on her knees next to Lee’s side. He could feel the silky material against his bare skin, and a small moan escaped his lips. Amanda grabbed the oil from last night, put some in her hand, and rubbed her hands together to warm it up. She leaned down and began to knead Lee’s tight shoulder muscles. “Oh, god, Amanda. That feels so good.” She just smiled, working her way across his shoulders, down his spine, then moved to his lower back. Her hands slid under the waistband of his boxers just enough to reach his lower back. Another moan escaped Lee’s lips. She worked her way up his back and sat down beside him. She pulled his arm from under his pillow and laid it across her lap. She started at the shoulder and worked her way down to his fingertips and back up, marveling in the muscle definition she has discovered so far. She placed his arm back under the pillow, got up, moved to his other side, and mirrored the same with his other arm. When she placed his arm back under the pillow, she got back up on her knees and placed soft kisses down his spine. “Amanda, I don’t think I’ve ever had that happen before with any of my other massages.”

“I hope not, Lee. It’s my specialty. Do you want me to stop?”

“Oh, god, no. Please don’t stop.”

She smiled and continued. She moved down by Lee’s legs. Warming some more oil in her hands, she ran her hands up his legs, so both were covered in a thin film of oil. She then started at the ankle, tenderly working her way up. She did not stop when she reached his boxers. Instead, she gently caressed his butt under the material. Lee moaned, and his body automatically reacted to her boldness. He sighed in disappointment when her hands left his skin. She moved to his other leg and repeated her moves. With both hands now massaging both cheeks and moving down to his hips, she pulled her hands out from under his boxers and worked her way back up to his shoulders. He could feel her now straddled on his lower back. She leaned down and placed her chest on his back, breathing on his neck. “Rollover, Lee!” Amanda stood up long enough to let Lee roll over on his back. She smiled when she noticed just how much she was affecting Lee. Once Lee was settled, she grabbed the oil, walked down to the foot of the bed, and repeated her actions on the front of his legs as she did on the backs. Amanda moved Lee’s legs apart so she could kneel between him. She placed a hand on each thigh. She looked up at Lee, and they locked eyes. The desire and love that each of them saw in each other's eyes was overwhelming. Lee looked at Amanda with anticipation of her next actions. Lee’s breath was taken from him when he felt Amanda’s hands move up his legs under his boxers. She wrapped her fingers around his erection and stroked it softly. Teasing him with her light touches. “Manda, that feels so good. Please don’t tease me!”

With a sultry smile, “but sweetheart, I’m just giving you a massage. Why would you think I’m teasing you?”

Lee threw his head back on the pillow, both in frustration and exhilaration. “But, you are teasing me, Manda.”

She just smiled, pulled her hands back from underneath his boxers. His erection was now peeking out of his boxers, the waistband holding him flat against his lower abs. She leaned down, licked his swollen tip, blew on it, and placed a small kiss where she blew air. Sitting up, she noticed Lee was now watching her again; she smiled, “Now that was teasing you!” Lee shook his head in disbelief.

Amanda got off the bed and grabbed the oil one last time. She rubbed her hands together and leaned down to rub his entire torso. She could feel every muscle twitching under her ministrations. Kneeling again beside him, she pulled her nighty up just enough so she could comfortably straddle him and began to run her hands up and down his abs, going far enough down to where she was just missing his tip. She moved up to his chest, and in doing so, she was now sitting directly on his manhood. Lee let out a very loud moan. He could feel her wetness through the silk panties she was wearing. “Oh god, Manda. I can feel how wet you are, and I haven’t even touched you.” 

“Only for you, Lee. Only for you!” A moan now coming from both of their mouths as Amanda ground her hips into him. She slowly lifted her nighty up over her head before tossing it onto the pillows beside his head. She needed to feel his skin against hers. She leaned down and sighed when their chests met. She nibbled his ear and sucked on the sensitive pulse behind his ear, and repeated Lee’s words. “I love you, Lee.” She moved to the other ear. “I always will.”

Lee couldn’t take it anymore. He reached his arms around her and held her tight. Their mouths met tongues fighting for dominance. Amanda continued to grind against Lee until they both screamed out each other’s name with their release. Lee’s seed spilled out between their torsos. Neither of them wanted to move from the sensations. Their breathing slowly lowered to normal. Amanda raised her head and leaned her forehead against Lee’s. “How was your massage?”

“Fabulous!! The best one ever,” Lee softly kissed her lips, never breaking contact. “If that was a prelude to what it will be like to finally make love to you, I think I may explode when it happens. Amanda, I have never felt this way towards anyone else. How you make me feel when we barely touch each other is unexplainable.”

“I know what you mean, sweetheart.” Amanda started to sit up, but Lee held tight.

“Where are you going?”

“Um, I need to take a quick shower. I’m a little messy.”

“Oh, ya. I am too. Want to share a shower?”

“Lee, if we share a shower, it won’t be quick.”

“You’re probably right. You go first.” Amanda sat up, grabbed her nightgown, and went into the bathroom. Lee just laid in bed for a while, listening to the water running in the shower, trying to grasp the reality of what just happened. He now knew, without a doubt, he made the correct decision earlier today. With a smile on his face, his thoughts were soon interrupted. 

“The shower’s all yours. I left the water running, so it’s nice and hot.”

Lee jumped out of bed, getting as close to Amanda as he could without getting her messy again. He leaned to her ear, “You, my dear, are nice and hot!” He took off to the shower, not wanting to see her reaction. 

Amanda put her hand up to her face to cool herself. “Oh my!” was all that would come out. 

A few minutes later, Lee came back to find Amanda waiting for him in bed. It was now cleared from all the towels and waiting just for him. He went to the dresser to grab his pajamas. “You don’t need those if you don’t want them.” Lee looked over to Amanda with a questioning look. “Well, you mentioned that you usually sleep in just your boxers, so you don’t need them if you're comfortable with what you're wearing.” Lee didn’t need any further explanation and slid into bed, pulling Amanda up next to him, covering them both with the bedding. “Good night, Amanda. I love you.”

“Good night, Lee. I love you, too.”


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Sunday Morning

Lee woke up, reaching for Amanda. His hand searching for her warmth. Not finding any, he opened his eyes and looked around. “Amanda?” Lee got out of bed, looked in the bathroom. “Amanda?” Still no answer. He walked out to the living room, smelling the coffee as he walked by the kitchen. He stopped as soon as he saw her and smiled.  _ I should have known she’d be out there.  _ He walked to the balcony and stood in the doorway. 

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Amanda said without looking over to him. 

“Good morning.” He walked over, sat beside her, and kissed her temple. “You left.”

Amanda looked at him with a confused look. “I didn’t go anywhere. I’m right here.”

“You left our bed. I reached for you, and you weren’t there.” 

“Well, you were sound asleep, and I had to get ready for my spa day. You were so cute. I didn’t want to wake you.” Amanda started to get up, but Lee reached for her hand. 

“Hey, where are you going?” 

“I told you. I have to leave to meet Jeannie. We’ll be in their suite most of the day. They have a spa on their terrace. The staff actually comes to us.” She leaned down and tenderly kissed Lee on the lips. “I’ll tell Billy you’ll be by later.”

Amanda walked back into the suite while Lee followed her. “Wait, I’ll go with you.” Amanda smiled and looked down at Lee, still in his boxers. 

“Don’t you think you should take a shower and um, maybe put on some clothes?”

Lee noticed for the first time what he was wearing. “Uh, ya, I guess I should do that. You ladies enjoy your day, and I’ll see you this afternoon sometime.”

They kissed good-bye and went their separate ways. 

\-------

Amanda knocked on the door. Billy opened it. “Good morning, Amanda. Come on in.” She walked in past Billy as he closed the door. “Where’s Lee? I thought he was coming so we could do something while you ladies were enjoying your day?”

“Oh, he’ll be here in a little bit. He woke up late, so he’s showering right now.” 

“Amanda, is that you?” Jeannie called out as she walked in from the terrace. “Are you ready for today? It’s going to be so nice after all the walking we have been doing the last couple of weeks.”

“Yes, I’m ready.” Amanda looked at Billy. “You and Lee have a nice time today. We’ll see you later.”

Jeannie leaned down, kissed Billy, and walked out to the terrace following Amanda towards the spa now set up, waiting for them.

Billy sat on the couch, reading a book while he waited for Lee. Billy heard a knock on the door, got up, and put his book down. He opened the door to see a smiling Lee staring back at him. “Well, nice of you to show up, Lee.”

“Good morning to you, too, Billy.”

“What do you want to do while we wait for our ladies?”

“I don’t know. How about we walk until we find the first pub and just sit and talk? Maybe have a few beers. What do you think?”

“That sounds like a plan. Let’s get out of here.” 

Lee snapped his fingers, remembering, “Oh, there is one thing I need to do before we leave the hotel. I need to make a reservation at the front desk. I want to take Amanda on a boat ride on the Seine this evening.” 

It didn’t take long to find a pub, and once they were seated and drinks were ordered, Billy didn’t waste any time grilling Lee. “So, Lee, how are things going with you and Amanda? The two of you look pretty close.” 

Lee smiled at the mention of Amanda’s name. “They’re going great, Billy. I don’t know why I fought my feelings for so long. I guess I was just afraid.”

“I knew she was going to be good for you from that very first case. I could never figure out why it was taking you so long to see it, too.”

“If I’m being honest, Billy, I did see it. Like I said, I was afraid.”

Billy took a drink and paused as if he was trying to get his nerve up. “Lee, you know that I think of you as a son.” Lee shook his head in confirmation. “I just have to say. It makes me happy to see you like this. I was so worried that first night when you told us about your fight. I thought you blew it.”

“So did I, Billy.”

“Will you give me any details on what happened?”

“Well, I won’t tell you what I did because I don’t even want to mention it again. But, I will tell you that Amanda is an amazing, understanding, and completely forgiving woman. When I found her at the lounge, I was able to talk her into a walk. We got something to eat and talked it out. I did a lot of apologizing, but so did Amanda. It’s like I told you before, it was almost like we needed to blow up like that in order to move on, and we agreed that both of us made mistakes. When we were done with our meal, we walked to the river, but I could tell that something else was bothering Amanda. So I asked her about it. To make a long story short, she made the first move.”

Billy spit some of his beer out when he heard Lee say that. “Amanda made the first move? I don’t believe it.”

“Ya threw me off at first as well. She was talking about a man in her life that she liked. At first, I thought I was too late. Then I realized she was talking about me, so I told her to tell this man exactly how she felt. She told me that she loved me. I told her I loved her, and we kissed. That’s basically it in a nutshell.”

“Wow, I can’t believe it. Scarecrow’s in love.”

Lee cringed with Billy’s use of his code name when it involved Amanda. He shook his head admittedly, “No, Billy! Scarecrow is not in love.” Billy looked at him with a confused look. “But, Lee Stetson is!” He smiled so big, Billy thought his face was going to crack. 

Billy’s smile followed Lee, “I am extremely happy for you, son. I assume the sleeping arrangements were figured out then?” Billy gave Lee that all too familiar ‘guy smile.’ 

“Yes, Billy, we got the sleeping arrangements figured out.”

“Lee, you are, um, being responsible?”

Lee looked at him, confused for a moment, then he realized what he was saying. “Oh, ya. Can’t get much more responsible than what we're doing.” Now it was Billy’s turn to look confused. “Billy, we, um, haven’t, um, consummated the relationship yet.”

“Oh, my, you do have it bad.”

“It’s my choice, Billy. I don’t want to rush things. This is not just another girl, Billy. Amanda is ‘it’ for me.”

Billy smiled, “I’m so happy to hear you say that, Lee. Does this mean you are off the market permanently?”

“For as long as Amanda will have me, Billy.”

\-------

Lee and Billy entered the suite, laughing and playfully arguing about an old case. Jeannie and Amanda were sitting on the terrace, enjoying some iced tea. Amanda laughed at them. “Welcome back, gentlemen. I take it you two had a good time.”

Billy walked up and kissed Jeannie, while Lee did the same to Amanda. “Yes, we did, Amanda. How did you enjoy your day?” Billy asked.

“It was unbelievable. However, I do have to say; I’ve had a much better massage.” Amanda and Lee shared a look that only the two could understand. “But, it was still very relaxing.” They spent the rest of the afternoon sitting and enjoying the company. Lee looked at his watch and interrupted. “Amanda, we should probably get going. I made some reservations for dinner and a surprise.” 

“Oh, okay. I didn’t realize we had plans,” Amanda said. 

Lee followed with an apologetic smile, "I know, I made the reservation after you already left this morning.” Amanda gave Lee a quizzical look but said nothing as they got up and left to get ready for their evening. 

\--------

“Lee, are you sure I’m dressed, okay? You won’t tell me what we’re doing, and I don’t know if I’m dressed appropriately.” 

“You are dressed perfectly. I said that you needed to be comfortable and able to move around. And you are dressed for that. Don’t worry; it’s not a fancy place we’re going to. You’re fine.”

As they walked out the back of the hotel, Amanda could see the Seine river where a small boat waited for them. “Oh, Lee, is this for us?”

“It sure is.” Lee stepped into the boat and reached back to help her in. At the front of the boat was a small bench seat. Lee helped her down into the seat and sat beside her. He grabbed the champagne glasses off the table in front of them and poured her a glass. Also, on the table were an assortment of foods. “I hope this is okay, Amanda? I know it’s not a lot, but we can eat while we tour the city by boat. The whole tour takes about an hour and a half.”

“It’s perfect, Lee.” They talked about nothing for most of the ride, eating and sipping their champagne. Lee suddenly pointed toward a spot on the shore. Amanda followed his gesture and smiled. “That right there is where my life changed, Amanda. Where you changed my life forever.” 

“Lee, that's the bridge we stood on the first night. Did you know we would sail past it?”

“I was hoping we would, but I didn’t know for sure.” They stared into each other’s eyes for the longest time. Lee leaned down and kissed Amanda passionately until neither of them could breathe. “I love you with all my heart, Amanda King.”

“I love you, too, Lee Stetson.” The last sight they sailed by before returning to the hotel was the Eiffel Tower. Lee helped her out of the boat, and they walked back to their suite.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Thursday Afternoon – Paris Suite

“Yes, mother, I’ll tell him. Kiss the boys for me, and we’ll see you on Saturday. Love you, too.” Amanda finished her phone call, hung up the receiver, and walked to the balcony to join Lee. 

“Everything okay at the home front?” Lee asked as she sat beside him. He put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close as she sunk back into his chest.

“Yes, everything is fine. Mother was a little upset that I hadn’t called since arriving in Paris, but she got over it pretty quick when I told her what we’ve been doing.” Lee looked at her with worry on his face. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Stetson, I didn’t tell her that! I just told her about all the places we went and what we saw.” Lee let out a sigh and a small smile. Amanda sat up to look at Lee and, with pride in her eyes and announced, “Phillip made the pitching rotation and will play 1 st base when he’s not pitching, and Jamie is the starting centerfielder. It will be nice that they are able to be on the same team this year.” 

“Amanda, that’s fantastic news. I can’t wait to watch them in action.” Amanda stared at him, not believing what she just heard. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I seem to remember you saying, and I quote, ‘I am not, nor do I ever intend to be a Bomber Father.’ Now you want to watch them.” 

“Can’t a man change his mind? I hear women can do that to men every once in a while,” he smiled and leaned down to give her a soft kiss. Amanda smiled and returned to her spot, resting against his chest. 

“Oh, I almost forgot. Mother has invited, well, actually insisted, that you join us for supper on Saturday when we get back.”

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” Lee kissed her hair, then looked at his watch. “Amanda, what time do you need to start getting ready for tonight? It’s not going to take me very long to get ready. I thought I would shower first. That way, you can have the bathroom to yourself. I can change in the bedroom.” 

Amanda reached for Lee’s wrist to look at his watch. “Oh, I should probably start in about an hour. Will that work for you?” 

“Perfectly! That even gives us thirty more minutes to snuggle.” The remainder of their time on the balcony was a comfortable silence, just enjoying the time they had left in Paris.

\--------

Lee walked out of the bathroom in just his boxers. “Amanda, the bathroom is all yours.”

Amanda walked out of the closet carrying her dress bag along with everything she will need, walked past Lee towards the bathroom. As soon as she passed him, she stopped, turned back to Lee. “Lee?”

“Yes.”

“I just wanted to tell you how much I’m enjoying you walking around in your boxers. I’m not sure what I’m going to do when we go back home. Not being able to see you every day and night. I’m going to miss this.”

“Me too, Amanda. Me too.” He watched her walk into the bathroom with a knowing smile. Lee went into the closet, grabbed his tux, and the bag from the dress shop. Talking to himself, “Let’s take a look and see what we have here.” He opened up the box, looked at the piece of material, and smiled. “Very nice, Amanda. Very nice.” He continued to get dressed, looked in the mirror to assure that everything was just right. He fixed his hair one more time and straightened his tie with a mischievous smile on his face. He looked at his watch, noting that he had plenty of time until Amanda was going to be ready. He walked out to the balcony to enjoy the view and thought about his Amanda as he patiently waited for her.

Amanda finished her makeup and hair. She unzipped the bag that held her dress, looked at it, smiled, and talked out loud. “I hope you like it, Lee!” She slipped the dress on, looked at herself in the mirror to make sure everything was just right, took a deep breath, and walked out of the bathroom. She was a little surprised that Lee wasn’t in the bedroom, so she went in search of him. She found him on the balcony. She walked to the French doors, took in the gorgeous man standing before her. Although she could only see the back of him, she was delighted with what she saw. She announced softly, “That’s my spot.”

Lee turned at the sound of her voice and was instantly lost in her beauty. The black chiffon bodice had one rhinestone-studded strap draped over her right shoulder and was fitted down to her waist where another rhinestone-applique cinched along her ribs opposite the simple strap. Below the waist, the dress fell loosely to the floor but still fell close to her slim figure. Halfway down the dress, the color changed into a bright ruby red that faded to almost white at the bottom. She wore her hair up in the back, held by clips covered in diamonds. Soft tendrils fell, shaping her face. Long diamond earrings hung down to her chin, with a simple diamond necklace and bracelet. Only her eyes shone brighter than the diamonds. Lee walked up to her and reached for both her hands. “Amanda, you are breath-taking. This dress was made for you.”

“Thank you, Lee. You look pretty breath-taking yourself...” Amanda reached to straighten the tie that matched her dress perfectly. “I like your tie. How’d you pull this off?”

“I have my ways,” he smiled and wiggled his eyebrows at her. He saw in her eyes that she wanted a straight answer, he added. “I asked Belevia to make sure I had a tie to match your dress. That’s what she handed me before we left the store. I couldn’t have her put it in the same package. How would I have gotten it out without seeing your dress?”

“Lee Stetson, are you telling me that you knew the color of my dress this whole time?”

“Oh, no. Not until I opened the box to put it on. It was driving me crazy, but I never peeked.”

“I love it, I love the dress, and I love you.” She pushed up to give him a soft, gentle, but passionate kiss. 

“Well, I love the dress, and I love you as well. Shall we go? Billy’s going to think we blew this off.” Amanda turned to head into the suite when she heard a gasp. “Amanda! You hid the best part of the dress from me.” 

“No, I didn’t. You just never asked me to turn around.”

“Well, don’t move, and let me take this in.” The shoulder strap separated into several slender straps that wrapped across her back, giving the dress a backless appearance, and a dip that went down to her lower back that didn’t leave much to the imagination. Amanda turned around to see a questioning look on Lee’s face. 

“Lee, what’s wrong?” 

“Absolutely nothing is wrong. I’m just trying to figure out how I’m going to be able to keep my hands off you tonight. I hope you’re rested because we’re going to be dancing a lot.” They both smiled at each other as he held out his arm for Amanda to take, and they made their way to the ballroom.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Hotel Ballroom

Lee and Amanda walked into the ballroom arm in arm. Everyone noticed the late arrivals. They continued looking for Billy and Jeannie. “Lee, everyone is staring at us. Are we that late?”

“No, Amanda. They are not staring at us. They are staring at the most stunning woman here.” Lee’s shoulder’s stood at attention with admiration that Amanda was his. Lee pointed over to where Billy and Jeannie were sitting, and they worked their way over. 

“Well, nice of you two to join us. What took you so long? Or do I want to know?” Billy said with a smirk on his face. 

“Nothing like that, Billy. It took me a while to get my motor skills back when I saw Amanda in her dress.” Lee placed his arm around Amanda’s waist and felt her bare back. “Speaking of motor skills, Amanda, would you care to dance?”

“I would love to, Lee.” 

Lee led her to the dance floor and possessively held her in his arms as they floated across the floor. Lee looked into her eyes, “Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?”

“Beautiful? No, you haven’t.”

“Amanda, you truly are the most beautiful woman here, and I’m so glad that you’re with me.” 

“Thank you, Lee. I wouldn’t want to be in anyone else's arms.” 

They spent the majority of the night dancing, with several men trying to cut in. Each time, Amanda politely declined. “Lee, I need to sit for a while and get something to drink. Would that be okay?”

“Sure, I’ll walk you back to our table, then get us something from the bar.” 

By the time Lee returned to the table with their drinks, Jeannie had joined Amanda. Lee handed Amanda her glass and asked, “Jeannie, where’s Billy? If I realized you were taking a break, I would have brought you a glass of wine or something as well.”

“That’s okay, Lee. He had to use the restroom, and he’s bringing me a drink on the way back. Thank you, though.” Lee sat down and placed his arm around Amanda’s shoulder. “In fact, there he is now.” Billy handed Jeannie a glass and sat down. 

“Billy, you and Jeannie look great out there on the dance floor. I didn’t realize you danced. Usually, you are too busy working at parties like these.”

“Thank you, Lee, but we are nothing compared to you two. You guys are the envy of the group.” Amanda blushed with Billy’s comments. The music changed and grabbed Lee’s attention. He looked excitedly at Amanda. 

“Amanda, do you know how to tango? This is a perfect song for a tango.”

“I watched my Daddy dance with Mother when I was little, and he used to show me a few moves, but I wouldn’t say I’m fluent with it.”

“What style did your father dance with you?”

Amanda looked at Lee like he was crazy. “Um, Tango. Is there more than one style?”

“Yes, actually, there are eight styles of tangos. Your father was more than likely dancing ballroom. I prefer a combination of Argentine and Finnish. Come on, Amanda, just follow my lead.” Lee got up and reached for Amanda’s arm. She was hesitant at first but trusted Lee. The two of them reached the dance floor, and Lee talked her through the beginning of the dance. Amanda was a little unsure of herself at first but slowly found the rhythm and matched Lee step for step. They looked like they had been dancing partners for years. Soon the other dancers cleared the floor, and all eyes were on them. However, they never noticed because they were lost in the moment. Their legs were kicking and wrapping around each other. Lee would swing her around and lightly glide his hands down her side. You could see the love each other had in their eyes. There was a sudden stop in the music. Amanda dropped towards the floor and slowly, as the music started up again, made her way back up to Lee, dragging her hand seductively up his leg. Lee shook his head to clear it from the sensations that just went through his body from Amanda’s touch. They were dancing side by side when Lee reached for Amanda’s outside leg, lifted her up, and spun her around before he gently placed her back on the ground. You could feel the sexual tension everywhere in the room. Lee ended the dance with a graceful dip that had Amanda’s lips just inches from his. He held her there, placed his hand on the side of her cheek, and kissed her passionately. They were both brought out of the moment by cheers and applause. Lee stood Amanda up and looked around the room, slightly embarrassed. He escorted Amanda back to the table so that they both could catch their breath. When they arrived at their table, Lee pulled out Amanda’s chair for her before he seated himself. Jeannie and Billy looked at them with amazement on their faces. 

“Wow, you two were incredible out there. The whole room was watching. Are you sure you’ve never danced that before?”

Amanda answered first. “Jeannie, I can honestly say that I have never danced like that in my life.” Lee nodded his head in agreement. They sat for a while before they were able to catch their breath and continued to dance the night away. 

\-----

It was getting close to the end of the night, and Lee and Amanda were still dancing. “Amanda, I want you to know that I’ve had the best time tonight, holding you in my arms.”

“Me too, Lee. I don’t want this night to end.” They held each other tight as the next song started. They both pulled back to look into each other's eyes as they listened to the words of the song, again lost in the moment. 

Tonight, I celebrate my love for you

It seems, the natural thing to do

Tonight, no one's gonna find us

We'll leave the world behind us

When I make love to you

Tonight, I celebrate my love for you

And hope, that deep inside you'll feel it, too

Tonight, our spirits will be climbing

To a sky filled up with diamonds

When I make love to you, tonight

Tonight, I celebrate my love for you

And that midnight sun is gonna come shining through

Tonight, there'll be no distance between us

What I want most to do, is to get close to you

Tonight

Tonight, I celebrate my love for you

And soon, this old world will seem brand new

Tonight, we will both discover, how friends turn into lovers

When I make love to you

Tonight, I celebrate my love for you

And that midnight sun, is gonna come shining through

Tonight, there'll be no distance between us

What I want most to do, is to get close to you

Tonight, I celebrate my love for you

Tonight

*********

Amanda and Lee were lost in each other. Listening to the words of that song hit so close to them. Lee was the first to break the silence. “Wow! Those lyrics were, um, wow!”

“Oh my gosh!”

Lee placed his hand on the side of Amanda's face. “Amanda, I hope you realize how much I love you. These last three weeks have been the best days of my life. I never thought I would feel this way about anyone. I thought I was doomed to spend the rest of my life alone. Then, you took a chance with me. And I’m so thankful that you did.”

“Oh, Lee. I feel the same way. What I feel for you is indescribable. I’m not for sure I know exactly what it is, but I do know that I never want it to end.” They kissed softly at first, then the kiss built in intensity. Remembering where they were, they pulled back from each other. Their faces still inches apart, struggling to get their breath under control. Lee looked deep into Amanda’s eyes with tears on his own. 

“Amanda, I need to show you how I feel. May I make love to you tonight?”

“I would like that very much, Lee.”

They kissed softly again, but no further words were needed. They walked hand in hand off the dance floor, found Billy and Jeannie, and said their goodnights. As they left the ballroom, they were overwhelmed with anticipation of what was coming next.

**Song recorded by Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Paris Suite

The walk back to their suite was quiet but comfortable, each watching the other’s actions to see if there were any doubts in their eyes with what was about to happen. Lee opened the door to their suite, stepped back to let Amanda through first. His eyes traveled up and down her body with pure lust. He shook his head to get his thoughts back to where he wanted them. He needed to make sure that they took this next step slowly, for both of them, and his emotions had to be under control to make that happen. 

He placed the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the door handle before he closed the door behind them. Lee followed Amanda into the bedroom, lit some candles, and turned down the bed. He was surprised to find Amanda standing at her dresser with her back to him. She had already removed her heels and had begun removing her jewelry. Her movements were very slow. He slid out of his shoes and walked up to her, watching every movement. Her earrings were first, one at a time. She set each of them carefully on the dresser. Her bracelet joined the earrings. As she reached for her necklace, Lee interrupted her actions. “Let me help you with that.” His fingers brushed against her skin as he released the clasp, causing her to shiver. Lee handed the necklace to her as she set it down next to the others. Lee’s nimble fingers gently removed the studded hair clips and placed them beside the jewelry on the dresser. His hands grazed along her shoulders, down her arms, until they rested on her hips. His light kisses followed along her shoulder blades and down her back, making sure to kiss every spot left open by the straps of her dress. He settled on the little spot of her lower back that had been teasing him all night. He smiled when he heard Amanda gasp at his touch. His tongue covered every inch that it could reach, followed by his light breath causing instant goosebumps. He stood back up and whispered in Amanda’s ear. “I love how soft your skin is!”

Amanda turned to face Lee. Her desire clearly shone in her eyes. Never breaking eye contact with him, she reached for the button on Lee’s jacket and released it. She ran her hands up his chest, making sure she teased his taut nipples through his shirt. The slight smile on Lee’s lips told her she hit her mark. She walked slowly around Lee and reached around his shoulders to remove his jacket. She neatly folded the jacket and laid it across the arm of the couch. Lee watched every move she made as she walked back to stand in front of him. She reached for his tie to relieve him of the constraint, slowly pulling it from around his neck. Still holding the tie, she reached for his wrists, removed each cufflink, and placed a gentle kiss on each of his palms while doing so. She turned to place them on the dresser behind her, turned back to Lee, and began working on the buttons of his shirt. Lee placed his hands on Amanda’s waist. He needed to touch her but did not want to interrupt her actions. She kissed each new spot of skin that appeared with every button that was released, causing Lee to sigh and declare, “I love how your lips feel on my skin!” He could feel her smile against his skin as she pulled on the bottom of his shirt to free it from his pants. She ran her hands back up his chest, making sure to tease his nipples again. Her hands slid under his shirt at his shoulders and pushed his shirt down his arms. Amanda caught the shirt before it hit the floor, and it soon joined his jacket. Standing in front of each other again, Amanda slid her hands around his neck, pulled him to her as their lips finally met. The kiss was soft at first; their desire soon demanded more. As their tongues dueled, their hands roamed. Lee’s hands ran over her smooth back, mingling in with the straps of her dress as her fingers played in his fine silky hair. 

Without breaking their kiss, Lee’s right hand moved to her left side. He found the zipper that held her dress in place and slowly pulled it down. At the same time, Amanda’s hands moved to work on releasing Lee’s belt buckle. Once complete, she moved to the button on his pants. Lee gasped when he felt Amanda’s hand brushed against him slightly while working his zipper down. Their kiss now broken, Amanda reached for the waist of his pants, slowly she crouched down, taking his pants with her. She reached for his ankle to help his leg out of his pants, removing his sock at the same time. Repeating the action with his other leg, she raised back up, placing his pants and socks along with his jacket and shirt. She returned to Lee, ran her hands over the black silk boxers he wore, speaking for the first time. “I love the way you look in nothing but your boxers!”

Lee devilishly smiled and reached for the lonely strap on her dress. He slipped his finger under it and grinned as it slid down her arm. Her dress fell to the floor, revealing she wore nothing but a pair of sexy lace panties. Lee ran his hands down the same path the dress just took until he reached the fallen gown. Amanda stepped out of her gown as he picked it up to join his clothes. Standing in front of each other, Lee reached his hands around her to touch her black lacy panties, loving the feel of the soft material on his skin. He bent and reached behind her knees with one arm around her, picked her up, and carried her to the bed. He placed her in the middle of the bed, slid in beside her, and leaned on one elbow. His hand traveled to the side of her face, tucked her hair behind her ear, looked deep into her now dark chocolate eyes, and with love and desire in his voice, “Amanda, you’re so beautiful.” His hand traveled down her arm and worked its way back up her ribs. His eyes followed his hand’s movement. Brushing against the side of her breast and back up to behind her head. His need to taste her took over as their lips met in a feverish kiss, his tongue begging for entry. Amanda opened her mouth to allow him in. She could taste the wine they had earlier in the evening. Moans escaped both their mouths. Lee moved to the tender pulse point on her neck, licking, sucking, like he’d never get enough of her. His hand cradled her breast and teased her nipple between his finger and thumb.

“Oh, Lee!” Amanda exclaimed

Her words spurred him on, so he lowered his head and took her breast in his mouth, flicking her nipple with his tongue. He moved to the other to make sure to pay the same attention to it. Amanda’s arms wrapped around Lee, drawing him closer to her, moving her hands up and down his spine. Lee released her nipple, moved his body down her while he placed soft kisses down her stomach until he reached her soft curls still hidden by her sexy panties. He slid his fingers inside the waistband of her panties and gently pulled them down her long slender legs. Standing at the foot of the bed now, Lee stared at the beauty that laid before him, now fully exposed. With a sexy smile, he breathlessly expressed, “I love the way you look with nothing on!” Amanda blushed. He placed his hands between her legs, worked his way up, causing Amanda to open herself to him. He placed soft kisses on her inner thighs and looked up into her eyes, asking for permission. 

“Lee, please. I need you.”

That was all he needed. He took her wet core in his mouth, sucking her, teasing her with his tongue. He grabbed both of her butt cheeks and pulled her closer to him. Amanda’s legs moved to rest on top of his shoulders as she buried her hands in his hair. Needing to touch him. Lee’s hands moved from her butt up her sides until they reached her breasts. Amanda arched her back in response. His hands, mouth, and tongue on her at one time quickly pushed her over the edge. “Lee, I love feeling you all over me.” A moment later, his hands shifted, and a slight sigh escaped Amanda at the loss of contact of Lee’s hands but was soon replaced when she felt him slip a finger inside her, then two. His thumb stroked her nub while his tongue still devoured her. Lee could tell she was getting close. He changed his fingers’ position, curling them inside her to scrap the sensitive spot that he knew would drive her over the edge. 

“Oh, god, Lee, don’t stop. Please, don’t stop!” He continued his motions until she screamed out his name as her first release hit her. “Lee!” Letting her ride out the waves of her climax, he slowly worked his way back up her body and nibbled on her ear, allowing her to come down from her high. He whispered in her ear, “I love it when you scream my name.”

Surprising Lee, Amanda moved quickly from under him to where she was now on top. Feeling his entire body against hers. She slid down his body, taking his nipple in her mouth, sucking and tenderly biting. Moving to the other to repeat her actions, she trailed kisses down his muscular abs, she could feel each muscle flinch in response to her touches. She sat up, reached for his boxers. Lee lifted his hips to assist, as Amanda pulled them down his legs so that nothing was now between them. She stood as he did, looked at his exposed body, his soldier standing at attention, smiled, and said, “I’ve changed my mind. I love the way you look, OUT of your boxers.” She kneeled between his legs, looked up to Lee. The desire and anticipation that she saw was undeniable. She leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his swollen head as she slid both hands up his thighs. She kissed all of his sweat glistened skin around his very hard erection. Her tongue worshipped his shaft. She worked her way back up to the tip. She blew directly where she licked and smiled as she watched his manhood dance. A low moan escaped Lee’s lips, and without warning, she took him all in her mouth. Stroking him up and down with her mouth, adjusting the pressure differently each time she stroked him. “Oh, god, Manda. That feels...." his voice faded as she continued her assault on him until she felt his hands grab her shoulders to pull her up to him. He rolled her over on her back, his body fully covering hers. He placed his knee between her legs, asking for permission. Amanda moved her legs to allow him access. He pushed up on his arms, so his body was not fully on her and stared into her eyes as he positioned himself at her entrance. The love and desire could be seen on both their faces. Lee hoarsely spoke, “I love you, Amanda. Now and forever.”

“I love you, too, Lee.”

Never taking his eyes off hers, he slowly entered her, drawing loud moans from both. He stilled his movement, giving her time to adjust to his size and himself time to adjust to her tightness. They smiled at each other as Lee slowly started to move in and out, with Amanda meeting every thrust in perfect rhythm. Lee pulled out, barely leaving his tip in, and drove back into her. “Oh, Lee!” Amanda reached for him and pulled him close. Her fingers raked down his spine, causing Lee to arch his back. “God, Manda!” Lee slid his arms under her shoulders so he could pull himself deeper into her, as she wrapped her legs around him, tighter. Lee reveled in the feeling of her body completely wrapped around him in every way possible. His lips attacked her neck while he admitted, "Oh, Manda, this is better than my wildest dream." He could feel that familiar tightening in his belly, telling him that he was close. He wasn’t ready for it to be over yet, so he slowed his movements. He leaned up on his elbows again so he could see Amanda. Her eyes were closed, enjoying the sensations. “Manda, open your eyes! Look at me. I need to look into your eyes.” Amanda opened her eyes and couldn’t believe the watery eyes that were looking back at her. She cupped the side of his face and saw so much love looking back at her. “Oh, Lee. I love you with all my heart.” Continuing his movements, never breaking eye contact, he reached one hand between them so he could stroke her. Her head instantly went back as she arched her back. “No, Manda. Keep looking at me.” She opened her eyes again, and no more words were needed. As they continued to move together as one, with Lee stroking her, he could feel her tightening around him, knowing she was just as close as he was. He sped his movements up, driving both of them to the edge. Lee removed his hand, needing more support as he drove into her faster and harder, bringing them closer to their release. “Oh, Manda!” “Lee!” they gasped as they exploded together. Lee collapsed on top of her, not able to hold himself up any longer. 

Lee continued to slowly pump his hips, using his movements, trying to bring them down from the high they just experienced. They finally stilled but clung to each other’s sweaty bodies, still connected. Lee raised his body first so that he wasn’t crushing Amanda, but she held him close. He leaned back enough to look in her eyes. The smiles on both of their faces went all the way to their ears. Amanda was the first to speak. “Oh. My. Gosh.” 

Lee chuckled and said, “My thoughts exactly.” He slipped free from her body as Amanda sighed from the loss of their connection and rolled to his back, pulling Amanda with him. He kissed her hair and reached for the bedding to cover them. Lee whispered, “I love you, Amanda.” 

“I love you, too, Lee,” Amanda replied as they both drifted off to sleep out of pure exhaustion.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Later that Night, Or Earlier the Next Morning

Lee opened his eyes, blinked a couple of times to let his eyes adjust to the darkness of the room. The only light was from the moonlight that shone through the window, which was perfectly placed so he could see a very naked Amanda in his arms. He smiled as he remembered what took place just a few hours ago. Although he couldn’t see her face, since her back was against his chest, he imagined it had the same smile that adorned his. He gently moved her hair off her shoulder, careful not to wake her. At least not yet. He ran the events of their evening through his mind.  _ The dancing, the tango, the song. Making love to her for the first time _ . These thoughts were bringing his desires back to the present.  _ So much for letting her sleep _ . He leaned into her back, kissed her shoulder while running his hand down her arm, moving the blanket to expose more of herself to him. He smiled when he heard her stirring. 

“Hmmm.” Amanda purred. “Someone, or something, didn’t sleep very long.” Amanda pushed herself back against his growing desire. 

“Well, do you blame me? I was sleeping next to a very gorgeous, very naked woman.” He pulled her closer, nipping at her neck. His hands traveled to caress her breasts. Amanda reached behind her to grab the back of his head, needing to touch him in any way possible. Lee’s hand slid down her ribs, over her hip and to the front of her thigh, pulling her thigh up over his leg. He began to stroke her, amazed at how wet she was for him already. Amanda moved her hand down between them so that she could stroke him at the same time. They both moaned loudly at each other’s touches. Lee’s other hand continued to knead her breast and pinch her nipple. His mouth laved the sensitive skin on her neck. Lee moaned and breathlessly whispered, “Amanda, I need you to stop touching me. I can’t hold on much longer, and I want to be inside you. Just relax and enjoy for a while.” Amanda removed her hand and allowed Lee to take over. He slipped a finger inside her as his thumb continued to rub her sensitive bundle of nerves. He could feel her body tense up and knew that she was close. “Come on, Manda. Let go.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, she yelled out his name as her climax took over her body. Before she was able to come down from her high, he removed his hand and entered her from behind. “Oh!” Amanda moaned, surprised by the sensations that this position created. “Oh, Lee!” Not really knowing what to do, she let her body react. 

Lee must have sensed her hesitation and softly encouraged, “Just relax, Manda. Let me do everything.” Lee’s hand went to her hip to hold her in place as he moved in and out of her, adjusting his angle to increase her pleasure. “Oh, Manda! It feels so good to be inside you.” He continued to move in and out slowly for what seemed like forever. His hands roamed all over the front of her body, touching everything within reach. Amanda responded with moans and gasps. He loved to hear her respond to him. He reached around again to stroke her, wanting her to come again. 

“Lee! Oh my gosh, Lee!” Her words only increased his need to feel her clenched around him. His pace began to grow as he pulled Amanda’s hips back into him. Amanda screamed his name as her climax hit her first, followed shortly by Lee. As his seed pumped into her, he continued to move inside her. He wanted the feeling to last as long as possible. When both of their breathing returned to normal, he slipped out of her and pulled her close. No words were said for the longest time. Lee could feel the tension in Amanda’s muscles. Worried that he had done something wrong or hurt her, he asked. “Amanda, are you okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Amanda didn’t answer, so he tried again. “Amanda? Please say something.”

She still didn’t answer, then he softly heard, “I’m sorry!” 

Lee, shocked by her response, released his hold on her only long enough to turn her around to face him. “Amanda, what are you sorry about.” 

Amanda shook her head, “Hm-mm. You’ll think it's silly.”

Lee reached to caress her face so that she could see his sincerity, “Amanda, please tell me. Nothing you say is silly to me.”

Amanda looked into his eyes, took a deep breath, and started to explain. “Well, I felt like I ruined everything. You see, well… um… I’ve never….that was a new position for me, and I wasn’t sure what to do. I didn’t do anything to help.”

A sigh of relief filled Lee’s face. “Oh, Amanda, is that all? Please don’t feel bad. You didn’t ruin anything. With that position, there isn’t a lot for the woman to do but enjoy it. You did nothing wrong. That’s why I said to relax.” 

“Really?”

“Yes, really.” Amanda relaxed as he pulled her to him. She rested on his chest while he ran his fingers up and down her back to help her settle down. “Plus, that position makes it easier to last longer than most.” 

She raised her head to look at him. “I did enjoy that part, very much,” Amanda said with a shy smile. 

With a devilish grin, Lee replied, “I hope you enjoy more than just that part. You sounded like you did.”

“Oh, Lee! I did. I’m sorry that came out wrong. I enjoy all the time I’m with you, in everything we do. You make me feel like I’ve never felt before. You bring out feelings that I never even knew I had. I mean, I knew I had the yearnings, I am a woman after all, and I’m not a prude. I know there are different positions, and it’s not that I haven’t fantasized about trying them, but I just never, you know, got the chance and……... “Lee interrupted Amanda’s ramble with his lips on hers. “Mmmm,” was the next thing he heard out of her mouth.

Lee broke the kiss, “Amanda, I understand completely. I never thought you were a prude. It’s nice to know, though.” Lee paused. “Can I ask another question?”

“Yes, anything.”

“How many positions have you experienced?”

Amanda couldn’t look at Lee to answer that. “Not too many. Joe was never one for variety.” Lee’s anger grew towards Joe.  _ How can a man not want to pleasure her in every way possible _ ? Amanda could feel Lee’s muscles tense up to her response. “Lee, please understand. Joe’s a good man, and he loved me. He just wasn’t very romantic and maybe a little selfish at times. He just didn’t have the attention to...detail... that you do.”

Lee smiled with her last comment. “You still didn’t answer my question. How many?”

“If you would like a number, I would have to say two. Either he was on top, or I was.”

“Amanda, now I’m the one who’s sorry. With all of our ‘exploring’ these last couple of weeks, I just assumed you were...I don’t know….more experienced.” Amanda just gave him the look that he felt the need to explain before she used that “S” name, and he had to beg to get out of the doghouse. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m not saying you’re not experienced with sex. I just meant with positions. If I would have known that, I would have prepared a little better. Does that make sense?”

“Yes, it does, and thank you for that.”

“I want us to be open with each other, with everything. Especially our sex life. If you don’t like something, I need you to tell me. If you have questions, ask. I’m not saying I’ll have the answer to everything, but at least we can work it out together. Is that a deal?”

“Absolutely.” 

“Good. Now, how about we try to get some sleep. I have a feeling we’re going to need all the rest we can get until we leave on Saturday. You know, with us having to try all these new positions and all.”

Amanda swatted him on the chest. “Oh, you, stop it.” She smiled with a blush on her cheeks, “That does sound like a good idea, though. Love you!”

Lee smiled and hugged her tighter, “Love you, too, Amanda.”


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

Friday Morning

Lee woke up, reaching for Amanda. Not finding her, he sat up and looked around the bedroom. He gave a slight smile, “She did it again. I can’t believe she did it again.” The sound of the shower grabbed his attention, and his smile grew. “I could use a shower.” Lee jumped out of bed and padded into the bathroom. The bathroom was fogged from the steam of the shower. He could barely make out Amanda’s silhouette through the glass. He walked to the shower, opened the door, and stepped in as quietly as he could. He didn’t move for the longest time as he watched her stand under the water. Jealous of the water that clung to her body. He was startled out of his thoughts when he heard her talk, but he couldn’t make out what she was saying.  _ Wait, she’s not talking she’s humming. What is it? It’s so familiar _ . A smile appeared on his face as he realized what she was humming.  _ It’s the song we danced to last night. _ _ Our song _ . He stepped towards her and reached his strong arms around her waist, and softly whispered in her ear. “You really need to stop doing that.”

Amanda startled, “Stop doing what?”

“You left our bed again. I don’t like to wake up to an empty bed.”

“Well, I needed a shower. Somehow I’m all sweaty.” she smiled up at him.

He leaned in to kiss her, “I’m sweaty too, but I figured I’d wait until a little later since I plan on getting sweaty again anyway. How long have you been in here?”

“Not very long. I just got in.”

“Good.” Lee reached for the bar of soap and washcloth, wet and lathered it. “Now I can do this.”

He began to move the cloth over her, careful to clean every inch of her. First her back, then her bottom, and moved down her legs. He worked his way back up her legs, slid his hand between her thighs, stopping too soon for Amanda. “Turn around, please?” Amanda turned and looked down at Lee with anticipation in her eyes. Lee began to wash her feet working his way up the front of her. As he stood, his hand cupped her core, drawing a gasp from Amanda. Lee smirked with a raised eyebrow. He moved up her torso until he reached her neck. Only after he had touched every part of her, he gently pushed her back into the water to rinse her body. Lee exchanged the washcloth for her shampoo and began to massage her head. Amanda’s hands went to his sides, needing some stability. Lee looked into her eyes, leaned down to kiss her passionately, still massaging her hair. He broke the kiss and rinsed her hair. “There, you’re all clean now,” he said breathlessly. 

“Thank you!” Amanda moved to where Lee was now under the water, grabbed the washcloth and soap. “Now it’s my turn.” She gently turned him and began washing his back. She worked her way down and back up, making sure she stopped at the same spot Lee did. “Turn, please?” Lee complied, staring down at her the same way Amanda did to him. She stood as she worked her way up. Pausing just long enough to drive Lee crazy. She took hold of him and stroked him only long enough to clean him and moved on, causing Lee to moan with frustration. She smiled and worked her way up. She repeated Lee’s actions and grabbed his shampoo to wash his hair. Several minutes later, Amanda whispered, “Now you’re all clean too.”

“Good, now I can do this.” Lee attacked her mouth and pushed her up against the shower wall. Amanda responded with her tongue pressing against his until he opened for her. All of their passion came out from the intense foreplay that their shower had created. “Oh, Manda, I can’t seem to get enough of you.” He grabbed her breast and squeezed as Amanda reached for his tight butt and squeezed with the same intensity. Their passion was so intense that this was not going to be a slow sensual moment. They both needed each other, and they needed it now. 

“Oh, Lee. Please!” Amanda begged. 

Lee slid his hand down her side, lifted her leg up to his hip, and entered her. Amanda wrapped her leg around him to help pull him in deeper to her. Lee pumped up into her driving her back against the smooth tile. Amanda arched her back to give him better access. “Baby, I don’t know how long I can hold out. I need you to come with me.” He reached down between them to stroke her. 

“Lee, don’t stop. Please don’t stop.” Amanda bit down on Lee’s neck as her climax hit her hard. 

“Ow,” Lee yelled. Amanda’s bite had sent him over the edge as he exploded into her. 

Lee gently lowered her leg and looked into her eyes. He softly kissed her. Breathlessly, Lee whispered in her ear. “I love you, Manda! That was incredible.”

“I love you too, Lee. I don’t think I’ll be able to enjoy a shower by myself again after that.”

They smiled at each other, as Lee added, “New experience?” 

“Yes, and I liked it very much.” 

“Good to know.” Lee pointed over his shoulder towards the water. “I’m just going to rinse off real quick.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Amanda added. 

Lee quickly rinsed himself off and stepped out of the shower to allow Amanda a minute alone to rinse off. When Amanda stepped out, she smiled when she saw Lee standing in front of her in his robe and a towel. She stepped forward while Lee began to dry her off. He completed his task, reached for the hotel robe hanging by the shower. He wrapped it around her and held her tight. Looking at her in the mirror. “Have I told you how beautiful you are today?”

“No, you haven’t,” Amanda smiled back at him. 

“You are the most beautiful woman in the world, and I’m so happy to have you in my life.”

“Oh, Lee. I love you.” 

Lee bent down to kiss her but was interrupted by a growl coming from Amanda’s stomach. He laughed. “I think you might be a little hungry. What do you say I order us some breakfast, and you can finish up in here?”

“Did you just say us and breakfast in the same sentence?”

Lee grinned and said, “Well, I have been exerting a lot of energy in the last few hours. I think I could eat a little something. Anyway, it is late in the morning, so technically it could be brunch.” He kissed her quickly on the nose and left the bathroom.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

Late Morning Paris Suite Balcony

Lee and Amanda were sitting at the small table on the balcony, still in their matching terry cloth bathrobes. They just finished their brunch, and Amanda announced. 

“Mmm, that was delicious. I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”

“I actually enjoyed it as well. However, the view is much better,” Lee added.

Amanda turned to look at the Eiffel Tower in the distance. “I know. I’m going to miss this view too.”

“Oh, I don’t think I’m going to miss the view I’m talking about.” Amanda looked at him with a puzzled look, which quickly changed as soon as she realized he was staring at her with his very sexy hazel eyes. He smiled and continued, “I plan on continuing to look at my view for a very, very long time. That is if the view doesn’t plan on changing on me.” 

Amanda looked at him with pure love, “I don’t think your view has any plans on changing anytime soon. If ever!”

The next few minutes were spent staring into each other’s eyes. Suddenly, Amanda stood and walked over to stand in front of Lee. She placed her hands on his shoulders. Lee’s hands instantly went to her hips. Amanda shuffled up to where she straddled his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. Lee’s grip moved around her waist and broke the silence.

“Well, hello there! Can I help you with something?”

Amanda smiled and said, “Yes, there is something you can help me with. You see, there’s this very handsome, very sexy guy that has consumed me for a while now.” Her right hand moved from behind his head as she ran a finger seductively down his jawline, over to his lips. 

“Oh, would you like to tell me about him?” Lee questioned, wanting to play along with her. He was excited to see where she was going with this.

“I would love to tell you about him. I’ve already mentioned how handsome and sexy he is.” Lee smiled and nodded. “But he’s also thoughtful, charming, and very good at his job, loyal, dependable, and honest.” While talking, her hands continue to roam downward until they reach the belt on his robe. As she pulled it loose, she said, “and his devotion to me is probably one of my favorite traits he has.” 

“He sounds like a great guy.” Lee’s hands slid up to the back of Amanda's head, pulled her close, and whispered in her ear. “Do you think he would do something like this?” He kissed the soft skin at her collarbone. 

Amanda arched her head back. “Oh, yes, definitely.” She grabbed the sides of his robe and moved them out of her way. She reached between them and gently began to stroke him. “He also loves it when I do this to him.”

“I can definitely see why. You are very good at that. What else does he love?”

Amanda pushed herself up just enough so she could guide him into her and sat back down so that he filled her completely. “He loves it when he’s inside me,” she hoarsely whispered. 

“Oh, god, Manda. He’d be a fool if he didn’t like that, but I think we should probably take this inside.”

Amanda shook her head. “Absolutely not! He loves it when I surprise him, and I can’t surprise him if we go inside, now can I? Besides, he also loves it when I take charge.” She began to rock back and forth as she leaned in to whisper in his ear. “Don’t you?”

Breathlessly he answered, “More than anything!” He reached for her tie on her robe, pulled it loose, and opened it, leaving it on her shoulders. He possessively attacked her breast with his mouth while his hand did the same to its twin. 

No more words were needed as they explored and devoured each other’s bodies. Amanda rode him like a champion screaming out his name as her first wave hit her. She slowed her movements, not wanting Lee to finish yet. She leaned back to change the angle and pushed up on her legs. She needed to feel his full length going in and out of her, over and over again. Lee reached for her swollen nub and began his assault, wanting her to come one more time with him. “Oh, baby, can’t. hold. on.” Lee's free hand grabbed her hip to pull her deeper into him, while Amanda’s hands went behind his head to force herself as far onto him as she could when her second wave hit her harder than before. “Lee!” Soon after, Lee joined her primal cry as he clung to her as he pumped his essence into her. 

They just sat there for the longest time, waiting for their breathing to be normal again. Lee reached up and ever so gently pulled back on her hair so he could look into her eyes. Amanda complied, and when their eyes met, the love shone as bright as the sun in the sky. Lee spoke first. “This man in your life is one very lucky man. I wouldn’t let him go if I were you.”

“I don’t plan on it.” 

Amanda lifted herself up so Lee could extract himself. For the next several minutes, they just snuggled with each other, basking in the warm sun as well as the warmth of each other. Lee could feel Amanda’s lithe body relax into him, and he soon realized that she was falling asleep. He reached around to where his hands were around her bottom and slowly stood up. He began carrying her inside. Amanda raised her head to look at Lee and asked, “What are you doing? I was very comfortable where I was.”

“I know, but we both could use some sleep, and I would prefer to sleep lying next to you in our very comfortable bed.” Amanda smiled as he continued to carry her to their bedroom. He gently set her down at the foot of the bed, removed her robe, then his own. He picked her up again and placed her down on the bed, slid up next to her, pulled the covers over them, and snuggled up against her.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

Friday Evening

Amanda woke; confusion filled her mind. The room was dark, and she could have sworn she had only been asleep a few minutes. She raised her head off Lee’s chest so she could see the clock on the nightstand. “Oh my gosh!” 

Her movements and voice startled Lee out of his sleep. He sat up abruptly, “What's the matter? Is something wrong?”

Amanda just laughed and said, “Yes, something’s wrong. It’s 7:23 in the evening. We’ve slept all afternoon.”

With a smirk, Lee responded, “Well, do you blame us? We’ve been pretty busy lately.” 

“Oh, stop it. We need to get up and start packing, or we’re not going to be ready to leave tomorrow. Billy wanted us in the lobby no later than 7:30 tomorrow morning.”

Lee pouted, “I don’t want to leave. I just want to stay in bed with you for the rest of my life.”

“That would be nice but not very practical. Come on, let’s get up and get packed. Leave out all the items we’ll need for the morning. That way, it will be easier for us. Plus, we should probably get some dinner while we’re at it.” Amanda got out of bed and grabbed her robe. She then walked over to the couch to collect all their clothes from the previous night. 

Lee mumbled something under his breath, then spoke out loud, “Okay, but under one condition.” Amanda looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “We don’t get dressed. We stay in our robes.” Amanda started to say something but was interrupted by Lee. “Besides, if we do, it will be less to pack in the morning.”

Amanda couldn't argue with his logic but still smiled in response. “Oh, how very logical of you.” Lee only smiled back with a very proud look on his face. “Okay. You grab our luggage and put it on the bed. I’ll start to gather all of our clothes.” 

For the next forty-five minutes, they worked together and were able to get everything packed and set out for the morning. As Lee set the last of their suitcases down by the door, he heard a knock on their door. “Amanda, the food is here,” Lee yelled. He went to open the door and found Billy on the other side. “Billy, what are you doing here? Is something wrong?” Lee opened the door to let Billy in. 

“No, Lee. Nothing is wrong.” Amanda walked into the room. 

“I’m so glad the food is here. I’m so hung…..Oh, hello, Billy. I thought it was our dinner.”

Billy smiled at seeing the two in their matching robes and commented. “Good evening, Amanda. I’m sorry to disturb you two, but I just wanted to make sure you knew when we were heading to the airport in the morning.” Amanda self-consciously gathered her robe closer to her neck, which was not missed by Lee. 

“Gee, Billy, couldn’t you have done that with a phone call?”

“Yes, I suppose I could have.” Billy grinned mischievously at Lee. “But, I wanted to make sure you understood what time to be ready by.” They shared a knowing look that didn’t go unnoticed by Amanda. She just rolled her eyes as Lee answered. 

“Ya, Billy, we were just talking about it. In fact,” Lee pointed to all of their luggage. “We just finished packing.” 

“Good, I’ll let you get back to your evening. See you both at 7:30 sharp.” Billy grinned and went to the door. As he opened it, their dinner was being delivered. 

————

Lee and Amanda were sitting at the dining room table. They had just finished their dinner. Amanda wiped her mouth and placed her napkin on her plate and with a saddened face and said, “I can’t believe that was the last meal I’ll have in Paris.” 

“I don’t know if I’d say that. We’ll be back. Didn’t we say we needed to bring our family here, and how much your mother would like the gardens?” Amanda’s heart sank when she heard him say our family.  _ Did he mean that, or was it just a slip of the tongue _ ? When Amanda hadn’t responded, Lee asked again. “Didn’t we say that?” 

She smiled, “Yes, we did say that, didn’t we!”  _ No need to point it out and have him retract it. _ He smiled back at her with a little relief on his face as well. 

“Why don’t we get this cleaned up? Then we can enjoy a glass of wine out on the balcony.”

“I would like that very much.”

The next few minutes were spent placing all their dinner dishes back on the cart to be placed in the hallway. Amanda walked to the balcony while Lee poured them a glass of wine. He walked up behind her and reached his hand that held her glass around her. “Here you go, my love,” kissing her softly on her cheek.

Without taking her eyes off the scenery, she said, “Thank you, sweetheart. It really is breathtaking, isn’t it?” 

“Yes, it is.” Turning Amanda just enough to look into her eyes. “Amanda, I want to tell you just how much I have enjoyed these last three weeks.” Amanda gave him a devilish look while raising her eyebrows. “I’m not just talking about ‘that’. However, ’that’ has been incredible.” He returned her smile with a waggle of his eyebrows. “Seriously, I’m talking about everything. Exploring this city hand in hand with you has made me see this place in a completely new way. You have such a….refreshing way of seeing things.” He reached and tucked some hair behind her ear so he could see more of her face, leaving his hand caressing her cheekbone. “With all my years as an agent, I’ve closed that part of me off, but I’m so glad you took that chance three weeks ago. I never knew love before I saw it in your eyes.” He leaned in and softly kissed her lips.

“Thank you, sweetheart. That was the sweetest thing I’ve heard in a long time.” She returned his kiss and turned to lean back into his muscular chest. “I can honestly say, I have never experienced anything like I have these past weeks. A lot of that is because of you.” She leaned her head back against his shoulder and tried to hide her yawn. 

“Hey, what do you say we turn in? We have to get up early and have a long day ahead of us. Besides, I can’t be tired and grumpy when I meet your family, now can I?”

Amanda chuckled and replied, “That sounds like a good idea. I’ll take our glasses to the kitchen, if you make sure everything is closed up.” 

They shared another quick kiss as they went their separate ways. Lee walked into the bedroom just as Amanda was hanging up her robe and climbing into bed. His breath caught in his throat. He made his legs move, and soon he was doing the same. He slid up next to her, and as he pulled her close, he whispered, “Now, this is what I’m going to miss.”

“What’s that, sweetheart?”

He squeezed her again, “This. Lying next to you, naked!”

“Hmmm, I’ll miss this too.”

They laid for a while as if they were both memorizing how each other felt in each other’s arms, before Amanda announced, “Lee, did you set the alarm?”

Lee shook his head in amazement, “No dear, not yet. What do you want it set at?”

“Probably 6:30. That should give us enough time.”

Lee rolled away from her to set the alarm and rolled back to take his place snuggled up to her again. He kissed her hair, “Good night, my Amanda. I love you!”

“Good night, Lee. I love you too.”


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

Saturday Morning

Lee woke up feeling refreshed. As his eyes focused, he could see Amanda sleeping before him. Sometime in the middle of the night, she had shifted positions to where they were now face to face. He carefully rolled to see what time it was and rolled back. He continued to stare at every feature on Amanda’s face. She started to stir and with a very tired muffled voice, “It’s very hard to sleep when someone is staring at you.” She opened one eye to see the biggest grin on Lee’s face she has seen in a while. “You’re awfully perky this morning. That’s usually my job. What time is it?”

“Just before 6:00. I got a great night's sleep and I’m ready to start the day.” Lee scooched closer to her so she could feel just how ready he was.

“I can feel that, but we have to get up, take showers, finish packing and be downstairs by 7:30. We don’t have time for that.”

Lee pouted and suggested as his hand moved down to squeeze her bottom, “Not even a little?” 

Amanda squealed, “No, not even a little. So far, it has been proving that we can't do ‘just a little’. We don’t have time. Since you're so ‘up’, why don’t you take your shower first.”

“Fine, but you’re no fun this morning.” Lee groaned as he rolled out of bed and walked to the bathroom. 

Amanda laid in bed, too comfortable to move. She heard Lee turn on the shower to warm. Her thoughts of their last shower interrupted her thoughts as she heard him close the shower door and moan to the sensation of the warm water hitting his body. She popped up, looked at the clock, and thought to herself.  _ Maybe a little wouldn’t hurt _ . She scrambled off the bed, running into the bathroom. 

Lee stood under the shower letting the water rush over him. He heard the door click behind him and he smiled knowing that Amanda had joined him. He waited and nothing happened. Then he spoke. “I thought we didn’t have time for this?”

Amanda’s hands then snaked around him, rubbed up and down his chest, teasing his nipples. “I think we have time for a little.” She dropped one hand to touch him, ecstatic that he was already hard. “Oh, my. You really are ready to start the day!”

“Yes I am, are you?” Lee reached behind him until he felt her core, slid a finger inside her, and said, “Yes, I believe you are.” He turned and dropped to his knees, taking her in his mouth. “Oh, Lee!” One hand grabbed her bottom to help hold her in place as the other entered her again, this time with two fingers. “Manda, you are so ready for me, but I’m not quite ready for that yet.” He stood without removing his fingers and took her breast into his mouth. Teasing her nipple with his teeth and tongue, he felt her tighten around his fingers. His mouth worked its way up to her neck and whispered hoarsely, “Yes, baby, let it go!” Amanda’s arms clenched around his shoulders to help support herself while digging her fingernails into his back as her first climax hit. 

Lee leaned back to look at Amanda with a start. “That good, huh?”

“Yes, that good!”

“Well, then, let’s try this!” Lee spun Amanda around and pressed her up against the cool, wet tile. He pressed his erection up against her bottom and reached for her core again. He playfully nipped on the skin on her back and neck as he stroked her with precision. He spoke directly in her ear. “How about this? Do you like this?” 

“God, yes. Please don’t stop.”

Lee continued to grind against her back as he assaulted core. “Come on, Manda, give me another one.” Lee nibbled on her ear while Amanda leaned her head back to give a better angle. Amanda placed her hands against the shower wall to brace herself as her second climax hit her. 

“Oh my gosh, Llllleeeeeee!”

Before she could come down from her wave, Lee reached for her thighs, lifted her, and entered her from behind. “Oh!” He pressed her tight up against the wall so he could bury himself as far as the position would allow. Amanda pushed her hips into him needing the same thing. Lee continued to pump into her over and over until he felt his belly start to contract. Wanting just a ‘little’ bit more, he bent his knees so that he could slide under her just enough to change the pleasure for both. “Manda!” “Lee!” Was screamed by both as they exploded together. Not wanting to lose their connection, Lee started to slowly move in and out, as he breathlessly spoke, “How... was ….your…..little….. something …..this ….morning?” He could feel his legs starting to give out on him, so he slowly withdrew from her and gently set her down. Taking a few seconds to get her bearings, she slowly turned to face Lee. Wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. They broke their kiss both needing air, she answered.

“There was nothing ‘little’ about that, or you! I have never had three…” Her words were cut off by Lee's mouth devouring hers. Lee spoke when he broke the kiss.

“I take it we can count that as a new experience?”

“Most definitely!! One that needs to be repeated often.”

They both smiled at each other in agreement. Amanda pushed on his chest to separate them and stated, “I hate to break this up, but we should probably, um, finish getting ready.” Amanda continued. 

“Oh, ya. I’ll rinse off real quick.”

Lee rinsed off quickly and left the shower, kissing her softly on the temple as he left. Amanda stepped under the water only to be startled by Lee yelling. 

“Oh shit!” 

Lee ran back into the bathroom, opened the door to the shower. “Amanda, we need to hurry. It’s almost 7:00.”

“What? Oh my gosh.” Amanda shut off the shower and grabbed her towel quickly drying herself off. The next thirty minutes were a blur. 

\-------

Billy and Jeannie were sitting in the lobby waiting for Lee and Amanda to arrive. Billy looked at his watch for the fifth time. “Relax dear, they’ll be here. They still have five minutes.”

“I know, Jeannie, but you didn’t see them last night. I’ve seen that look from Scarecrow too many times. He’s going to be late.”

“Now, dear. This isn’t Scarecrow we’re talking about. This is Lee. He’s changed. Amanda’s changed him, for the better. Believe in him. Better yet, believe in Amanda.” 

Billy patted Jeannie’s arm and said, “You’re right, dear. I need to have a little faith.” Just as Billy said that the elevator doors opened and out walked a very flustered Lee and Amanda. “There they are. Jeannie, do they look a little flushed to you?”

“Now that you mention it, they do.”

Lee and Amanda walked up to Billy. Billy nonchalantly looked at his watch. “Cutting it kind of close aren’t you? Everything okay? You look so….I don’t know…”

Lee glanced at Amanda with a worried look and figured he’d ignore the last part of Billy’s question. He looked at his watch and responded. “What? You said 7:30 sharp. It’s 7:30. You can’t get that much sharper than that, now can you?” Lee looked over to Amanda with a smirk on his face. She just rolled her eyes. The bellboy walked over to collect their bags. 

“Well, I guess you have a point there,” Billy relented. “Now let’s follow our bags and catch our ride to the airport.”

The four of them followed the bellboy out of the hotel. Lee and Amanda shared a look of relief that they made it on time. Amanda leaned close to Lee and whispered, “Aren’t you glad I made us pack last night?” Lee nodded and smiled as they followed Billy and Jeannie out of the hotel. Before getting in the car, Amanda stopped, turned and looked back at the hotel. Lee looked back to her. “Amanda, everything okay?”

“Yes, sweetheart. I’m just going to miss this. I wanted one last look before we left.” Lee placed his arm on her shoulder and stood beside her. Amanda turned to him, smiled, and said, “Let’s go home.” Lee kissed her lips and helped her into the car.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

Washington DC

The plane ride home was long but uneventful. In the car on their way to drop Lee off at his apartment, Jeannie spoke. “I don’t know about all of you, but I’m glad to be home.” 

“Oh, I don’t know. I kind of liked being away,” Lee added.

“I just bet you did,” Jeannie added with a sly smile on her face. 

Billy coughed to break up the gazes that they both shared and added. “How about you, Amanda, are you glad to be home?” 

“Oh, I miss my boys and mother, very much. But I still enjoyed Paris as well.”

“Hm-mm,” Jeannie offered with a smile at Amanda. 

Billy gave Jeannie a look as if to say enough, then awkwardly stated. “Lee, it looks like we're almost to your apartment. Have a relaxing day tomorrow and will see you Monday morning for our meeting.”

As they pulled up to his building, the driver got out to get his bags as Lee confirmed. “You bet, Billy. See you Monday. Goodbye, Jeannie.” He looked over to Amanda and pulled his head to the side, asking her without words to step outside with him. 

Amanda looked at him, then Billy and Jeannie and pointed to the door. “I’ll, um, just, be a minute.”

Billy just nodded and smiled. Lee and Amanda got out of the car, and Lee immediately grabbed Amanda by the waist and pulled her close. “So, supper is at 6:30, right?”

“Yep. Mother said it was just going to be burgers, so very casual. I’m probably going to slip into some comfy sweats and enjoy being at home.”

“That sounds great. Casual it is. However, I don’t know if I can wait three hours until supper. Care if I come over a little early?”

“Not at all, come over whenever you want.”

“Perfect! I’ll unpack, take a shower and head over.” He pulled her in for a kiss, which soon turned very heated.

\----

Jeannie and Billy sat in the car with embarrassed looks. They looked at each other and just smiled. Billy spoke first. “I don’t know about you, Jeannie, but I feel like I’m watching one of our girls on the front porch with her first date. I feel like I should flick the lights or something.” They both shared a laugh as Billy reached over and tapped on the glass to get their attention. 

\-----

Lee and Amanda were engrossed in their kiss when they heard a tap on the glass. They quickly separated their lips with smiles. Lee looked at her, “I guess Dad thinks it’s time I stopped kissing you.” They both laughed. 

“Ya, we should probably pause this for now. See you in a little bit?”

“Absolutely!” Lee released her and grabbed his luggage. He headed towards his apartment, but suddenly turned and yelled. “Amanda!” She turned to him. “I love you!” She smiled and replied. 

“I love you, too.” She returned to the car with two sets of eyes staring at her with arms folded in front of them. Amanda blushed and shrugged her shoulders. “Sorry, Mom and Dad. It won’t happen again.”

Billy let out a belly laugh and answered. “Ya, right!” 

\-----

The car pulled up to 4247 Maplewood Drive and they all got out to say their goodbyes. The door of the house flew open. “Mom!” “Amanda” was heard as her family ran towards her. Amanda knelt down to hug her boys. “Oh, fellas, I missed you.”

“We missed you, too.” 

“Boys, let your mother breathe. Why don’t you grab her bags for her and take them up to her room, please.”

“Yes, Grandma.” Both boys called out.

Amanda stood to hug her mother. “Hello Mother. How are you?”

“Much better now that your home.” Dotty looked at Billy. “Hello, Mr. Melrose.”

“Hello, Mrs. West. Please call me Billy. This is my wife, Jeannie.” 

Dotty nodded to Jeannie. “Nice to meet you, please call me Dotty.”

“Well, Amanda, thanks for coming along. We’ll see you on Monday.” Billy nodded to Dotty. “Nice to see you again, Dotty. Have a good rest of your evening.” Billy and Jeannie got back in the car, as Dotty linked her arm with Amanda’s and walked into the house. 

“Now I want details, young lady, and where is Lee? I assumed he would be dropped off with you.”

“Mother, I’m not giving you details. I will tell you about my trip and what we saw but that is it. As for Lee, he’s at his apartment. He wanted to unpack and shower. He’ll be over shortly. Now I want to go unpack and take a shower myself. If you want to talk you are going to have to help me unpack.” Amanda said that last part with a slight giggle. The boys passed them on their way up to the bedroom hollering, “We’re going to be outside practicing.” They didn’t wait for an answer. Amanda just shook her head and thought.  _ It’s good to be home.  _ As the two women walked into the bedroom, Amanda grabbed her suitcase and started to pull out the clothes that needed to go to the laundry as Dotty grabbed her garment bag. Amanda began telling her all about Paris when she heard a gasp from Dotty. “Amanda, this gown is simply gorgeous. I don’t remember you having this one.” 

Amanda looked up and smiled. “I didn’t. Lee bought that for me. I wore it Thursday night at the ball. Lee has a matching tie.” Amanda felt like she was back in high school when she said that but she didn’t care. 

Dotty looked at her stunned. “Lee bought you this. Oh my, it looks very expensive.”

“I wouldn’t know. He wouldn’t let me see the price tag, but all the gowns in that shop were very expensive. Mother, I’m going to jump in the shower now. Do you think you could take these clothes down to the laundry for me?”

“Absolutely. Let me just finish hanging these up first. I’ll see you downstairs.”

Amanda grabbed her toiletries from her bag and walked into the bathroom. As Dotty was walking down the stairs, the doorbell rang. She moved the laundry into one arm. She opened the door to a very handsome man holding flowers. “Well hello, I assume you must be Mr. Stetson.”

“Um, yes Mrs. West. Lee, please call me Lee.” Dotty backed up to allow him in. 

“Let me go put this in the laundry room real quick. I’ll be right back.”

“Take your time.” Lee couldn’t believe he was actually inside the house he had watched over from the outside for so long. He was lost in his thoughts when Dotty got his attention. “I’m sorry Mrs. West, did you say something?”

“I said what lovely flowers. Amanda will love them.”

“I hope she will, but they are actually for you.” He held out his hand to offer the flowers to her. “I saw them as I was driving here and they reminded me of the ones we saw in Paris.” 

Dotty sighed, “Isn’t that sweet. Thank you. Won’t you come in? Amanda’s still in the shower and the boys are outside. I’ll just put these in some water. Please have a seat.”

Dotty headed for the kitchen and Lee to the family room. Lee looked around but didn’t sit. “You have a lovely home, Mrs. West.”

“Dotty.”

“Hm, I’m sorry.”

“Dotty, please call me Dotty.”

“Oh, of course.”

“Thank you. Amanda and I try to keep up with the house as best we can.” Suddenly the doors flew open.

“Grandma, who’s rad car is that in the driveway?”

“Boys, settle down. I would assume the ‘rad’ car you are talking about, belongs to our guest.” Dotty motioned to Lee. “Now, be polite and introduce yourselves.”

Philip reached to shake his hand. “I’m Philip, and this is my brother Jamie.” He pointed over his shoulder at the same time.

Lee shook both their hands. “Lee Stetson, but please call me Lee. It’s very nice to meet you both. And to answer your question, yes that’s my car in the driveway.”

“That’s a Corvette isn't it?”

“Yes it is. Do you like cars?”

“Do I ever? You think you can give me a ride in it sometime?”

“Absolutely! As long as it’s okay with your mom.”

Jamie had been hanging back watching the whole interaction between his brother and Lee. Finally he spoke. “Are you my mom's new boyfriend?”

“Jamie!” Dotty scolded.

Lee turned to Dotty and interrupted, “It’s okay, Dotty.” He turned back to Jamie. “Yes, I guess you could say I am. Is that okay with you?”

“Do you like baseball?”

Lee, a little surprised with his response, answered, “Sure.”

“Do you know how to throw a curveball? Because Philip has been throwing everything at me, BUT a curveball and he could use some help.”

“Hey, it hasn’t been that bad.” Philip pushed Jamie as he said it. 

Dotty and Lee shared a laugh as Lee took control. “Hey fellas, please don’t fight. I have never thrown a curveball. And I bet it’s pretty hard to throw. So how about we go outside, you show me how your coach told you to throw it and I’ll watch to see if I can see anything you're missing.” 

“Really?” Philip asked as Jamie rolled his eyes back adding, “Thank god!”

The three went outside and Lee watched as Philip was explaining everything to him. Dotty moved to the window to watch and spoke out loud, “I don’t know much about you, Mr. Stetson, but that was a very good start.” 


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

Amanda looked at herself in the mirror. Satisfied with what she saw, she turned to join her family. She bounced down the stairs asking as she walked into the kitchen. “Is there anything that needs to be done for supper?”

Distracted, Dotty answered softly, “No, dear.” 

“These are lovely flowers, Mother. They remind me of some we saw in Paris.”

Again, not really paying attention to Amanda, Dotty answered softly. “That’s what he said.”

Amanda curiously looked at her mother and shook her head. She chuckled and asked, “Mother, what are you looking at?”

“Hopefully, our future.”

“What? Mother, what are you talking about?”

“Come see for yourself,” Dotty said as she pointed out the window.

Amanda walked over to the window and gasped. There was Lee helping Philip with his hold on the baseball. Lee stepped back and Philip pitched the ball to Jamie. No one moved after Jamie caught the ball, then suddenly they all started jumping up and down and yelling with excitement. Dotty looked back at Amanda  with tears in her eyes. "They've been out there since you got in the shower. Lee just took charge and it's like he's been here a hundred times before. This, Amanda. This could be our future. Do you understand now?”

“Yes, Mother. I understand completely and hope you’re correct.” She put her arm around her and hugged her. “I’m going to see what has my men so excited. Care to join me?”

“Absolutely!!”

They walked out together and as soon as the doors opened, Phillip yelled as he ran to Amanda, “Mom, did you see that pitch? Lee helped me with it.” 

Amanda wrapped her arms around Phillip while looking at Lee the whole time with love in her eyes. “I sure did. That was fantastic.” As she mouthed to Lee, “I love you.” 

Lee smiled and blew her a kiss as he joined the rest and said. “Philip, you just need to remember to keep your finger off to the side and you should be fine.” 

“Thanks, Lee. Jamie, you want to catch a few more?”

“Sure as long as you keep throwing them like that.” The boys ran off as Lee walked up to Amanda and placed his hand on the side of her face and kissed her tenderly. “Hi.”

“Hi yourself. That was very nice of you.”

“That? I didn’t do much. I just noticed he was moving his finger in the middle of his pitch.”

Dotty stood back and silently watched a man she barely knew, but by the way he was with Amanda and her grandsons, she couldn’t wait to get to know more. 

The three adults sat at the picnic table and watched the boys for the longest time, cheering and laughing. The boys stopped playing catch long ago and were now in a very competitive game of tag. Dotty looked at her watch. “Oh my, we completely lost track of time. We better get moving if we want to eat anytime soon.”

“Is there anything I can help with?” Lee offered. 

Dotty pointed towards the grill and said, “You could start the grill, if you’d like. The charcoal’s over there by the gazebo.”

Lee nodded and walked over to the grill as Dotty and Amanda walked into the kitchen to get everything ready. 

“Amanda, I must say, I believe that man is a keeper.”

“I think so myself, Mother.”

“I can tell how much he loves you. The way he looks at you. The way he kissed you.” Dotty waved her hand close to her face like she was fanning herself. “I could only imagine what he’s like in other places, too.”

“Mother!”

“What, I'm just saying.”

“I know exactly what you’re saying. Please stop.” Amanda said with a slight chuckle in her voice.

Dotty threw her hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay. But, I do believe you are one very lucky woman. Aren’t you?”

Amanda blushed, barely able to look at Dotty. “Yes, mother. I am.”

The next several minutes the women worked in perfect rhythm preparing their meal. Lee helped cook the burgers and before they knew it, the five of them were sitting at the picnic table, eating and listening to the stories of their time in Paris. 

“Amanda, I hope you took a lot of pictures, because it sounds like a lovely place,” Dotty asked.

“Yes, Mother. We took a lot of pictures. I’ll drop the film off tomorrow to get developed. That way we can get them back sooner. Oh, that reminds me. Jamie can you run up and grab the camera off my nightstand. There are a few more pictures left on the roll and I want to finish it off.”

“Yes, Mom.” Jamie ran upstairs and grabbed the camera. When he came back he saw his family sitting at the picnic table. Amanda and Lee’s backs were to him. Lee’s arm was rubbing up and down Amanda’s back. At that time, Lee looked over to Amanda and said something that Jamie couldn’t hear. The smile that appeared on his mom’s face made him smile. He quickly raised the camera and snapped a picture. He walked up behind Amanda, handing her the camera. “Here ya go, Mom.” 

“Thank you, Jamie.” 

Dotty grabbed the camera out of her hands. “Philip, go stand back with your brother. I want to get a picture of the four of you.”

“Yes, Grandma.”

Philip and Jamie stood behind Lee and Amanda as they all smiled for Dotty. “What a beautiful picture that will be. Thank you.” She handed the camera back to Amanda. 

Amanda looked at the camera and stated. “It looks like there’s only 6 more pictures on this roll.”

Jamie spoke up, “Mom, can I take the rest of those?”

“You sure can. Thanks.” Amanda handed the camera to Jamie, who had looked like he just got the best gift ever. “Thanks, Mom.”

Philip announced to the group. “Our first game is Wednesday, and the coach told me that I would be pitching. Lee, can you come to the game?”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Lee answered with excitement in his voice and on his face. “What time does it start?”

“It starts at 4:30.”

Lee looked over to Amanda. “Remind me to mention it to Billy on Monday and make sure I can get off a little early.” Amanda nodded. 

“Boys why don’t you help me clean up and then it's time for bed. You have an early practice tomorrow,” Dotty announced. 

“Oh, Grandma, it’s still early. Do we have to?” Jamie begged.

“Yes, now don’t argue. Let’s go.”

“Yes, ma’am,” both boys answered.

As the boys helped clear the table, Lee and Amanda went into the family room and snuggled on the couch. Dotty couldn’t help but sneak peeks at the two love birds. The boys finished their chores and went to say their good nights to their mom and Lee. Dotty shortly excused herself as well, leaving Lee and Amanda to themselves. They sat there for what seemed like forever before either one said anything. They were just enjoying being home and in each other’s arms. Amanda was the first to break the silence. 

“So, how was your first night with my family? I think it went very well.” 

“It was perfect. You have two great boys.”

“Thank you.”

Lee leaned in and kissed Amanda. His intention was for it to be a quick kiss but that all changed when Amanda pulled his head to her to deepen the kiss. Lee’s arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her onto his lap. Amanda nipped at his lower lip, then her tongue begged for entrance. Lee opened his mouth and soon their tongues danced with each other. Lee’s hand ran up her back under her sweatshirt, pleased to feel that she was not wearing a bra. His hand quickly moved to the front and gently caressed her breast. Amanda sighed as she grabbed his hand to stop his movements. “Lee, we need to stop. The boys may come down and I don’t want them to see us.”

Lee leaned his head against hers and complied. “Sorry, I forgot where we were for a moment.”

“That’s okay. So did I.”

“Amanda, I don’t know how I’m going to sleep tonight without you in my arms.” 

“I have an idea.” Amanda raised off his lap and walked into the laundry room. Coming back with one of her sweatshirts. She handed it to Lee. “Here. Take this with you.”

Lee lifted it to his nose and could smell Amanda all over it. He smiled. “Thanks, but it’s not going to be the same.”

“I know, but it might help.”

Lee tried to hide his yawn, without success. They smiled at each other and Lee said, “I should probably be going. Walk me out?”

“You bet.”

Amanda and Lee walked to his car with their arms wrapped around each other’s waist. As they approached his car, he leaned up against the door and pulled Amanda close to him. “Do you know how hard this is from me to leave you right now? Paris spoiled us.”

“I know. It’s hard for me too.” Amanda reached her arms around his neck and pulled him in for another scorching kiss. For the next several minutes their mouths and hands roamed over each other. Lee pulled back and whispered, “Manda, we need to stop. It’s already going to be an uncomfortable drive home. For more than one reason.”

“I know,” as she pushed her hips into his.

“That was not nice, Amanda.”

“Sorry.” 

Lee stood up so that he could open his door, got in and pulled the door shut. He rolled down the window and Amanda leaned in. She kissed him softly. “Good night, Lee. I love you.”

“Good night. Love you, too. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Amanda stood back and watched him pull out of the driveway and drive away from her. She sighed and turned back to walk into the house not knowing that they were being watched from above. 

Dotty looked down from her bedroom window as Amanda started to walk back to the house. She smiled to herself. “Yep, definitely, one very lucky woman.”


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

Monday Morning - Agency

Amanda walked into the bullpen politely saying hello to everyone she passed. She noticed Lee was not at his desk, so she walked towards Billy’s office to talk to him about the boys’ game on Wednesday. She knocked on the door and peeked in the window. When she saw Billy’s hand wave her in, she entered the office. 

“Good morning, Sir.” Amanda was surprised to see Lee already in his office. She looked over to him as Billy responded. 

“Good morning, Amanda. Were you able to rest up?” 

She looked back towards Billy. “Yes, sir. We just stayed at home and relaxed. Mother did all the errands so that helped.” She sat in the chair next to Lee. “Good morning, Lee.”

“Good morning, Amanda.” She turned her attention back to Billy. 

“Sir, I wanted to talk to you about something. I know we just got back and there is probably a lot of work to get caught up on, but Philip and Jamie have a game on Wednesday, and Philip is the starting pitcher. I would really love to be able to make the game, but it starts at 4:30, so I was wondering……

Billy held up his hand to interrupt her. “It’s okay, Amanda. Lee has already mentioned it to me. You can leave whenever you need to. I told Lee that he could be off by 4:00.”

Amanda smiled and looked at Lee. “You already asked?”

“Of course, I didn’t want to get sidetracked so I came in here first thing,” Lee answered. 

She turned back to Billy. “Thank you, Sir. I really appreciate it. How are you and Jeannie? Everything back to normal?”

“Yes, everything is just fine.” Billy looked at his watch. “Now, we better get going or we are going to be late for the meeting. It doesn’t look good when the boss is late.”

The three of them stood up and walked out the door. Lee held it open for Amanda and followed, placing his hand on the small of her back, as Billy walked behind them. When they got to the conference room, once again, Lee opened the door and let her walk in first, followed by Billy. 

Francine was the first to greet them. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t the weary travelers. Welcome back from your vacation.” 

Lee and Amanda just smiled at her as they walked by. Lee pulled the chair out for her, then he took his seat. Billy walked up to the podium and responded. “Very nice to see you too, Francine. It wasn’t a vacation.”

Francine grimaced, “Three weeks in Paris is not work. It’s a vacation. Three weeks in Istanbul is work.”

Lee smiled at her and commented, “Jealous much, Francine.”

Billy interrupted before it got out of hand. “People, please. I would like to get this over with so we can all do some work around here.” 

The next thirty minutes went by quickly. Billy discussed the conference and even mentioned the scenario that Amanda participated in. He gave out the teams assignments for the week and dismissed everyone. Before they left Billy mentioned, “Francine, can you meet me in my office so we can go over everything that happened while I was gone? I need to get up to speed before my meeting with the President this week.”

“Sure, Billy,” Francine answered. 

Everyone got up and left the conference room. Lee and Amanda were the last to leave. Amanda grabbed his arm before he got out of the conference room. Looking around to make sure everyone is out of ear shot, she asked, “Lee, are you free for dinner tonight?”

“Absolutely, what did you have in mind?”

“Well, nothing special. But when Mother turned in the rolls of film yesterday, she splurged to get next day service. I thought maybe you’d want to be there when we go through them.”

Lee smiled. “I would like that very much. What time should I be there?”

“I was thinking you could just follow me home. Unless of course you wanted to go home and change first.”

“I can just follow you. I have my bag in the car. I could change at your place if that’s okay with you.”

“That’s fine with me.” They looked into each other’s eyes and neither one wanted to look away, when Amanda continued. “We, um, should probably get to work.”

“Ya, that’s probably a good idea.” Lee motioned for her to go first as they went their separate ways. 

Lee spent most of the morning going over notes on open cases. While Amanda worked on typing up some transcripts. Lee walked up to where Amanda was working. She looked up to see Lee and reached for the tape recorder to pause the tape. “Hi, there.” 

“Hi. I was just going to go get some lunch. Would you like to join me?” 

“I’d love to. Where do you want to go?” Amanda turned off her recorder, grabbed her purse and walked out of the bullpen with Lee. 

“I was thinking, since it’s such a nice day, we’d walk to that new cafe down the street. If that’s okay with you?”

“Sounds lovely.” By this time they made it to the elevator. They rode the elevator and walked out of the building, handing their badges to Mrs. Marston in silence. They got about two blocks from the agency and suddenly, Lee pulled Amanda beside the building they were walking next to. He pressed her up against the side of the building and kissed her passionately, while his hands roamed over her body. Amanda returned the kiss until they had to break the kiss for air. Lee spoke first breathlessly, “I have wanted to do that ever since you walked into Billy’s office this morning. I know it’s only been one day but I missed you.”

“Me too. On both counts,” she mischievously smiled.

“I don’t know how I’m going to keep it professional at the office. You are driving me crazy, sitting across the room and I can’t touch you.”

“I know, but it‘ll get easier. We’re just so new to this. We’ve got to give it time.”

“I know. We should probably continue on to the cafe.” He gave her one more gentle kiss before they stepped back onto the sidewalk and walked to the cafe. 

\--------

The rest of the afternoon was more of the same. Lee had found something that worried him, so he went to talk it over with Billy. Lee entered Billy’s office leaving the door open, “Hey, Billy, you got a minute?”

“Sure, Scarecrow. Francine and I just finished up.” Francine started to get up, but Lee stopped her. 

“Francine, stay. I could use your opinion as well.” Lee handed Billy the papers he was holding. “Read this and let me know what you think.” 

Billy read through the papers and looked up to Lee. “I see what you mean.” Billy handed it to Francine. “Do you think it’s legit?”

Lee shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. I’d like to do a little digging just to make sure.”

Francine finished reading the papers. “I think it’s worth digging into a little more. Just to make sure.”

While the three of them were having their meeting, Amanda just finished up her last tape and was securing all of her paperwork to hand into Billy. She walked over to Billy’s office and knocked on the door frame to get everyone’s attention. “Excuse me, Sir. I’m not interrupting am I? I just wanted to hand in my transcripts before I left for the day.” 

Lee looked at his watch, not believing that it was that time of the day already. Billy reached for Amanda’s work. “Not a problem, Amanda. Come on in.” Amanda handed him her work as the conversation continued. Billy turned to Lee. “Scarecrow, do you have any contacts that you can check with to confirm this?”

“Ya, I think I’ll give Augie a call. See if he’s heard anything.” Francine shook her head and responded. 

“Augie, really. That’s your best option?”

“Unfortunately, in this instance I believe he may be my only option. This is right up his dirty little alley.” Lee looked at Billy and with a nod agreed with Lee. Amanda was listening to the conversation and asked.

“Who’s Augie?”

Lee looked over to her, “He’s an informant of mine. He’s a middleman that gets into the middle of things sometimes he shouldn’t be in. He is unreliable when it comes to integrity but his intel is usually good.” He paused and shrugged his shoulders. “Most of the time. But his contacts are usually the big boys.” He looked back to Billy. “I’ll reach out to him and see if I can set up a meet.”

Billy agreed. “Keep me posted on what you find out.”

“Will do.” Lee glanced over to Amanda then back to Billy. “Hey, do you care if I call it a day?”

Francine spoke before Billy could. “What's going on Lee? Got a hot date? You’ve only been back a few days.”

Lee looked at Francine with a frustrated look. “As a matter of fact, Francine, I do. With a very special woman, and I don’t want to keep her waiting.”

Amanda and Billy shared glances while Lee was talking to Francine, worried on just how far Francine was going to bait him. Relief shown on both their faces when Lee stopped when he did, but unfortunately Francine wasn’t going to let it go. 

“Well, my, my, my. Do I know her?”

“Does it matter if you know her or not? It’s really none of your business, now is it?”

“Fine, don’t share with me. Be that way. What about you, Amanda? Any big plans tonight.”

Amanda, startled by the conversation moving towards her, looked at Billy, then Lee and finally back to Francine. She shrugged her shoulders and answered. “Uh, me! Oh, nothing big. Just spending time at home with the family. It is a school night after all.”

Francine made a gesture as if to blow her off and raised up from her chair. “Well then, if everyone else is leaving. I’m going home as well.” She stormed off, leaving the three in the office. They all shared identical looks. Billy spoke first.

“Well done you two. I’m impressed on how you handled her. What are your plans tonight?”

Lee responded. “Exactly as I told Francine. I have a hot date with a very special woman. It just also involves her family.” Lee smiled over at Amanda proudly then to Billy. 

“The truth. I like it. Have a good evening you two. See you tomorrow.”


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

4247 Maplewood Drive

Lee pulled into the drive behind Amanda, got out of his car and grabbed his bag. The two of them walked to the house together. They walked in as Amanda announced, “Mother, we’re home.” 

“In the kitchen, dear.” They walked into the kitchen to find Dotty making a pitcher of tea. “Hello Amanda, Lee. So glad you could join us.”

“Thank you for the invite. I can’t wait to see how the pictures turned out. Are the boy’s home?”

Dotty smiled, “Yes, they’re up in their rooms finishing their homework.”

“Um, Amanda, do you mind if I change real quick?” 

“Of course not. Come on, you can use my bedroom to change. Mother, we’ll be right back.” Amanda and Lee turned to go up the stairs. 

“Ok, dear. Take your time.” Amanda looked over her shoulder at her Mother with a scowl on her face. Dotty just smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “What?”

Amanda and Lee arrived at the top of the stairs, she said, “Lee, I want to check on the boys real quick.” He nodded and followed her down the hall. “Hey fellas. How’s the homework coming?”

“Hi, mom. Hi Lee,” came from both boys. “I just finished,” Jamie added. 

“I’m almost done, but I’m having a hard time figuring out the answer to this one question,” Philip answered. 

“What are you working on?” Amanda asked. 

“History.”

Lee spoke up. “Well, I’m pretty good with history. Why don’t you work on it for a little longer and see if you can future it out. If not, I will help you through it.”

“Really, Lee. That would be great.”

“You bet. Try and figure it out on your own though, first.”

“Okay.”

Amanda watched the interaction between them with pride. “We’re going to go change. Jamie, will you please go down and see if you can help your grandmother with dinner. When we’re done changing and you’re done with your homework we’ll look at the pictures from Paris.”

“Ok, Mom,” both boys answered. 

Lee and Amanda walked to her bedroom. Lee walked in and placed his bag on the bed. Amanda followed, closed and locked the door behind her. “That was nice of you to offer to help Philip with his homework.”

“I hope that was okay. I don’t want to overstep any of your rules.”

“No, that was fine.”

Lee opened his bag and pulled out his clothes. He took off his jacket and removed his shoulder strap and gun. He carefully removed the clip, cleared his gun and tucked it in the bottom of his bag. He looked up and noticed that Amanda was watching him. He shyly smiled. “I wanted to get that off before anyone saw it. I’m going to go use the restroom.”

“Okay.” Amanda watched as he closed the door behind him. She shook her head in amazement, wondering how she got so lucky. She went to her dresser and pulled out her favorite sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. She undressed and slid her sweatshirt on. In just her sweatshirt and panties, she grabbed her work clothes and walked over to the closet to put them in her hamper. Lee suddenly walked out of the bathroom. His shirt still on but unbuttoned, holding his slacks in his hands. “Amanda, my button fell off my pants. Do you think you can fix th……” He stopped in his tracks when he saw Amanda standing at the doorway of the closet. He threw his pants on the bed and went up to her and wrapped his arms around her. “You know, it's not very nice of you walking around in your panties like this. It makes it very hard to be good.” He leaned down to nibble on the skin at her collarbone. 

“Lee, we can’t. We don’t have time and the boys are right down the hall.” She sighed as he worked his way up to her ear. 

“We can be quick, besides you can’t leave me like this.” He gave her a pouty look. “You're the one that started this.” 

Amanda softly chuckled. “When have we ever been quick?”

“We can try.” His lips made his way to hers. Amanda fought his kiss as much as she could but, she just can’t resist him. She reached one hand behind his head to deepen the kiss, while the other slid inside his boxers and began to stroke him. Lee groaned at her touch. 

She broke the kiss and whispered in his ear. “Quickly and quietly.” Amanda pushed his boxers down over his hips and they dropped to the floor. Lee picked her up as she wrapped her long slender legs around him. He walked over to the edge of the bed, but Amanda interrupted, “No the floor. The bed makes too much noise.” Lee gave her a curious look that she returned with a shrug of her shoulders. Relenting to her request Lee kneeled and gently placed her down on the floor. He grabbed a pillow from her bed and placed it behind her so she could lay her head on it. She laid back as he removed her panties. Still on his knees he reached for her hips and pulled her into him. “Oh!” Amanda cried. 

“Shhhh. That’s not very quiet.” Lee whispered. 

Amanda whispered back. “You surprised me. I wasn’t expecting that.” Amanda again wrapped her legs around him.

Lee pumped in and out, trying hard not to scream out her name. After a few minutes, his movements became faster and harder with every lunge, pushing them both closer to the release they both wanted. Amanda reached for her pillow and placed it over her mouth to muffle her cries. Lee felt her tighten around him drawing his own release. He bit his bottom lip to control his cries as he lost his balance and collapsed on top of Amanda. “Sorry about that.” Lee pushed off her and again kneeled in front of Amanda. She sat up, as Lee wrapped his arms around her to pull her onto his lap and rested his head in her shoulder. Amanda rubbed her hands up and down his back. She reached for the sides of his head and pulled back so she could look him in the eyes. Lee smiled and softly spoke. “See, I told you we could be quick.”

“Yes, we can. However, I enjoy the other much better.” They shared a look that they both agreed. “We need to get moving, if we don’t want Mother beating down my door.”

Amanda moved off Lee’s lap and stood up off the floor. She grabbed her panties and quickly pulled them on followed by her jeans. “I’m going to head downstairs while you finish up. Don’t forget to check on Philip.” He nodded and stood to collect his clothes.

“Okay, see you in a bit.”

Amanda went downstairs while Lee finished dressing, grabbed his bag and went to check on Philip. As she made it to the kitchen she asked, “Is there anything I can help you guys with?” ruffling Jamie’s hair as she walked by. 

“No, dear. We have everything under control. You weren’t gone very long. Everything alright?”

Amanda glared at Dotty and then looked at Jamie. “It doesn’t take very long to change clothes, Mother.”

Dotty shrugged her shoulders. “Okay, just saying. Where’s Philip and Lee?”

“Lee’s helping him with his homework.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Philip bounced into the kitchen. 

“No he’s not. I already had it done by the time he came in. He just looked it over to make sure I did it correctly.”

“Good job! I knew you could do it.” Amanda looked around. “Where’s Lee?”

“He ran his bag out to his car. He’ll be right back.” Amanda shook her head in understanding and suggested. “Well, why don’t we all move into the family room so we can start looking through the pictures?”

“That sounds like a great idea. You don’t know how hard it was to not look through them as soon as I picked them up.”

Dotty and Amanda sat on the couch, as the boys sat on the floor in front of them. Lee came back into the house and Amanda yelled. “We’re in here, sweetheart.” Lee walked into the family room. Amanda patted the sofa beside her. He sat down and Amanda grabbed the first packet of pictures. They went through the pictures one by one explaining and passing them along so everyone could see them. Amanda suddenly stopped explaining the pictures and stared at the one in her hands. Lee noticed this and immediately was worried. 

“Amanda, are you okay?” He leaned in to look at that picture. They shared a look. “When was that one taken? I don’t remember this one.” Dotty took the picture from Amanda so she could see what they were talking about.

“Oh, Amanda. What a beautiful picture.” The boys couldn’t take it anymore. They raised up on their knees to look at the picture in question. Jamie was the first to respond. 

“Wow that is a good picture.” Jamie looked at Lee and when Lee noticed him looking at him, he swallowed hard. “Is this still when you're on top of the Eiffel Tower?” 

Lee nodded. “Yes. It has to be the one the tourist took for us. She must have snapped a picture before we even looked at the camera.”

Dotty grabbed the picture back and stared at the two people in the picture. Lee was standing behind Amanda with his arms around her. Amanda was leaning back and they were staring into each other's eyes as if it was their souls. “You can see how much you two are in love,” Dotty clearly stated.

“Ya, Grandma, I was thinking the same thing. I took a picture kind of like that when we were sitting at the picnic table and mom asked me to go get the camera. You two were looking at each other that same way when I came up behind you. I hope it turned out as good as this one.”

“Dotty, do you care if I borrow the negatives and get some copies made of some of these?” Lee asked.

“You don’t need to, Lee. I had them make double prints. I assumed you would want copies of them as well.”

“Thank you. That was very thoughtful of you. However, there are a few of these I'd like to blow up as well.”

“Oh, Lee, that is a fabulous idea. Make sure to remind me to get the negatives before you leave,” Dotty exclaimed. 

They continued looking through the pictures. They got to the last set of pictures. These pictures were of the ball and the ones they took at home to finish off the roll. The first picture was of all four of them. “Oh, Amanda. That dress was made for you. It is just gorgeous.”

“That’s exactly what I told her, Dotty.”

“This is a great picture of all of you.”

“Sweetheart, we need to sort through some of these pictures and give them to Billy and Jeannie.” As Lee and Amanda continued to talk amongst themselves, Dotty took the pictures from Amanda and shuffled through them. 

“Amanda, are you dancing the Tango here?”

Amanda turned to Dotty to look at the picture. “Yes, mother. I believe so. Jeannie must have taken these.”

“I wish I could have been there to watch the two of you dance.” 

“Maybe someday, I’ll be able to dance with you, Dotty. Amanda told me you used to dance all the time with her dad.”

“We did dance a lot didn’t we darling?”

“Yes, Mother. I loved it when Daddy would get the records out and the two of you would dance.”

Jamie brought them out of the remembrance. “Look, here’s the picture I took.” He turned the picture around so everyone could see it. 

“Oh, Jamie. That turned out great. Nice shot,” Amanda commented. 

Jamie smiled proudly. “I really liked taking those pictures the other day. Mom, do you think we could look into getting some photography supplies?”

“Yes, I think we could look into that.” 


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

Wednesday Morning - The Agency

Lee and Amanda were sitting in Billy’s office going over the schedule for the day. “Remember, Sir, I’m leaving today at 3:00 for the boys’ game.”

“Yes, Amanda, I remember. And when will you be leaving for the day, Scarecrow?”

“I have my meeting set up with Augie at 3:30, so I figured I would just leave when I’m done with him and head to the game. I’ll probably leave here around the same time Amanda does.”

“That should be fine. Have you heard any other news on what might be moving along the border?”

“No. Everything we’ve found so far is still leaning towards guns. Hopefully, I can get something from Augie that will actually help us.”

Billy nodded. “It would definitely be nice to find something concrete. Alright, since I won’t see you until after your meet, make sure you check in with me so I know if we need to take this any further.”

“Will do, Billy.”

“Oh, Amanda. Jeannie wanted to make sure that I thanked you for the pictures.”

“You’re welcome, sir. They did turn out great, didn’t they?”

He nodded in agreement then said, “Well, if that’s all, I’d like to get back to it. I have a meeting on Capitol Hill I need to prepare for.”

Amanda and Lee left Billy’s office and Amanda followed Lee to his desk. “So, Amanda, what do you have on your plate for today?”

“Just helping with some filing. Nothing big since I’m leaving early. I don’t want to start something that I may not be able to finish before I have to leave. You?”

“Trying to figure out if this threat is real or not. I sure hope Augie has information that will help. Will you be free for lunch?”

“Not today. I brought something from home. I feel bad leaving early so I want to get in as much work as I can. Sorry.”

“I understand. Are the boys excited about the game today?”

Amanda chuckled. “You can say that. They are both very excited that you will be there. I even think they are more excited for you than Mother and I.”

“I have to admit I’m looking forward to it as well. I can’t wait to see them in action.”

Amanda pointed over her shoulder, “Well, I better get to it. See ya later.”

“Ya, see ya later.”

The rest of the day went by quickly. When it was time to leave, Amanda grabbed her purse and headed to Lee’s desk. Surprised not to see him, she looked over to Billy’s office. She walked over, knocked, and peaked in the window. Billy waved her in. She was surprised to see Francine. “Oh sorry, Sir. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I was just wondering if you had seen Lee?”

“You’re not interrupting. Last I saw of Lee he was headed down to crypto. He found some codes he didn’t recognize and wanted to check on them. Are you leaving for the day?”

“Yes, I am.”

Billy pointed out his window. “There’s Lee now.”

“Thank you, Sir. Have a good night.” She looked over to Francine and nodded. “Francine.” She walked out and shut the door behind her. Francine got up and walked to the window to watch Amanda and Lee.

“Billy, why is Amanda taking off so early?”

“Her boys have their first baseball game this afternoon.”

“And Lee? He looks like he’s leaving too.”

“He has his meeting with Augie and then he’s taking off for the day after that. Why?” Billy looked at Francine with a suspicious look trying to figure out where she was going with all of her questions. 

“Does he have another hot date or something? He usually doesn’t leave work after a meet.” 

“I’m not for sure. He said that he had plans, but…..”

“Boy he sure is making up for lost time. Those three weeks must have put a damper on his dating routine. Has he told you anything about this new girl he’s dating?”

“Not much, but I get the impression this one’s different.” 

Francine jerked her head towards Billy and laughed. “Ha. That will never happen. Lee’s too much of a playboy for that.”

Billy just shook his head as they watched Lee and Amanda walk out of the bullpen. 

\-----------

“Mom, where’s Lee? He’s still coming to the game right?” Philip asked with worry in his voice followed up by Jamie. “Ya, Mom. He promised he’d be here.”

“Yes, fellas. Lee is coming to your game. He had a late meeting and he said he would meet us here at the ballpark. He still has time. It’s only 4:00. Now I don’t want you two to worry and concentrate on your game. Okay. Now go. Scoot. Good luck!”

“Okay Mom,” both boys replied with not much enthusiasm. 

Dotty listening to the conversation, waiting until the boys were out of ear shot. “Amanda, Lee is going to make it, right?”

“He said he would, Mother. We walked out together and he said he wouldn’t miss it.”

“For the sake of those boys, I sure hope so. Did you see the look on both their faces?”

With concern she answered. “Yes, Mother. I did.” Amanda pointed to the bleachers. “Let’s go find a seat, shall we?” 

\---------

Lee looked at his watch for the millionth time. “Come on Augie. Where the hell are you? He knew he couldn’t leave his meet but he also didn’t want to break his promise to the boys. Just then Augie walked up. “About time you showed up. You're thirty minutes late.”

“Sorry, Lee. Something came up.”

“Something came up.” Lee grabbed him by the shirt and pushed him back. “Something came up.”

“Whoa, Lee. Calm down. It was in regards to the information you were asking for. There were some last-minute details that came in. I figured you’d want the correct information.”

Lee loosened his grip and rubbed his shirt trying to smooth the wrinkles out of it. “Fine. Show me what you got.” Augie handed over an envelope that Lee opened quickly. He read through the paperwork flipping back and forth. He looked up at Augie with anger in his eyes. “You’re kidding me right. This can’t be real.” 

\-----------

Amanda looked at her watch again.  _ Come on Lee, what’s taking you so long. I hope you’re okay. _ Dotty brought her out of her thoughts. “Amanda, do you think Lee’s going to make it?”

“I sure hope so, Mother. It will kill the boys if he doesn’t make it. I mean look at them. They look like they just lost their dog.”

“Well, we’ll just have to try and keep their spirits up the best we can. We need to be hopeful for them.”

The coach called the team in for a huddle. Philip and Jamie shared looks at each other and just shrugged. As the team broke to make their way to the field a loud whistle could be heard from behind the stands that captured the boys attention. The boys' frowns instantaneously turned to huge smiles. Amanda and Dotty noticed the change, looked at each other then turned to see what caused the change. In the distance they saw Lee jogging from the parking lot. He had changed out of his work clothes and was wearing jeans and a blue polo. Amanda sighed with relief when she saw him. He made his way up the stands to where they were sitting, sat down and out of breath asked, “Did I miss anything?”

“No, you haven’t missed a pitch.” They shared a smile and turned their attention back to the field, but continued their conversation. “What took you so long? I was worried something happened.”

“Augie was late. My meet….” Lee noticed that Dotty was now listening to the conversation and continued, “My meeting didn’t start until almost 4:00. I’m just glad I decided to change before the meeting.” Strike the umpire called out. “Nice pitch Philip!” He looked up and down Amanda like he was looking for something. “Did you bring it?”

“Bring what?” she answered with a slight smile.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about.” He watched as Amanda leaned down into her bag to produce what he was asking about. He gave her one of the Stetson smiles and took it from her. “Thanks.” He placed the Bombers hat on his head and again turned back to enjoy the game. 

\--------

“What a great game, guys!” Lee exclaimed as they all gathered after the game ended. “You guys have a really good team.”

“Ya, coach thinks if we keep this up we may have a chance to make the Championship tournament at the end of the season,” Philip announced. 

“It got a little close there at the end. I thought we were in trouble when Philip walked the first guy,” Jamie started. 

“Hey that was a bad call. That last pitch was a strike.” Philip argued. 

“Now fellas, let's calm down. You guys pulled it off and won. There’s no reason to argue about it all now.” Amanda interjected before it got out of hand. 

“You’re right mom. Philip made up for it when he struck out the last batter.”

“Ya, but that was an awesome catch you made in the sixth inning. If you didn’t make that, they would have scored at least two runs.”

The adults proudly smiled at how the boys were now encouraging each other. Philip then added, “Hey mom, everyone’s going out for pizza. Can we go?”

“Absolutely, go get your gear and we’ll head over there.”

“Yeah!” came from both boys. As they ran off to get their things, Philip turned around. “Hey Lee, do you think I could ride with you to the pizza place?”

“Hey, that’s not fair. I want to ride with him too,” Jamie cried. 

Lee held up his hands to stop the argument. “Boys. We don’t need to argue about this. Besides, I don’t have a back seat in my car, so I could only take one of you at a time anyway. Since Philip asked first, how about Philip rides with me to the pizza place and Jamie can ride with me home?” The boys looked at each other and with a silent agreement nodded back. They took off again. 

“You handled that very well, sweetheart. And I must say you look very sexy in the hat.”

“I do, huh?” He leaned in and gave her a kiss. 

Dotty watched the interaction quietly and couldn’t help to think how well Lee was fitting into the family. She wondered if anyone else noticed that Lee referred to their house as ‘home’, as if it was his home not theirs. She would have to make sure she asked Amanda about that later. 


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

Pizza Place

Lee and Philip pulled into the parking lot to find Amanda standing outside waiting with her arms crossed. Lee parked and they walked into the restaurant. Amanda greeted them. “Where have you two been?” Lee and Phillip looked at each other innocently and shrugged. Lee answered. “I took a wrong turn.”

“Hm-mmm. Philip go on in, your team’s waiting for you.” 

“Sure Mom. Thanks for the ride, Lee. It was awesome.”

Amanda gave Lee a questioning look while Lee just smiled. Amanda reached for his arm before they entered, “Hey, I wanted to ask you how your meeting went with Augie.”

“It was a bust. They’re not smuggling guns. They’re smuggling Jackfruit.”

“What?”

“That’s exactly what I said. I called everything in to Billy on my way to the ballpark. Consider it closed.” 

“Well, that’s good. But that was an awful lot of work for an exotic fruit.” They smiled as Lee reached for her hand and they joined everyone inside.

The adults sat at a table and watched the boys celebrate their win. After they were done eating, the boys moved to the arcade part of the pizza place. All of a sudden Jamie ran up to the table. “Lee! Bobby and his dad just challenged me to a game of foosball. Will you be my partner?” 

“Absolutely. Show me the way.” Lee got up and followed Jamie into the arcade. Dotty took this as her chance to talk to Amanda about Lee. 

“Amanda?”

“Yes, Mother.”

“I know that we only officially met Lee a few days ago, and only knew about him a little over a month, but you too seem like your relationship has progressed a lot further. Care to enlighten me?”

Amanda tore her view away from her boy’s playful game and looked directly at her mother. “What do you mean progressed?”

“Well, I don’t want to assume and I don’t want to push. I know where that got me last time. However, I do know when a man is smitten, and darling that man is head over heels smitten with you and the boys. Did you even notice that he called our house ‘home’? As in his home.”

“No, Mother. I didn’t even catch that.”

“That’s it. That’s all you’re going to give me?”

“What else do you want? Lee and I have known each other for almost a year. We both have been fighting our feelings for almost as long.”

“I want to know what that man’s intentions are with my little girl. That's what else I want. Has he hinted about a future with you? Have you picked up on any subtle hints here and there? Because, if you want my opinion, I believe that man already knows he’s found his future.” 

Amanda turned back to look at Lee, taking in her mother’s words. Lost in her thoughts, she was pulled out of them when she heard loud cheers from the arcade room. Lee and Jamie were giving each other high fives and then shook their opponents’ hands. Lee wrapped his arm around Jamie and the grins that were on both of their faces were priceless. They walked back towards the table along with Philip. “Mom, you should have seen them. That was an epic battle.” Philip exclaimed. 

“I’m sure it was, sweetie. Are you boys ready to go home?” 

“You bet!” was heard by all three boys. 

“Mother, I’m not sure who had more fun tonight.”

“My vote goes to Lee, darling. Definitely Lee.”

They walked out and said their goodbyes to their team and coaches. Lee leaned in and gave Amanda a kiss on the check and said, “See you at home.” 

Dotty nudged Amanda in the ribs. “He did it again. Did you hear that?” Amanda just rolled her eyes and got in the station wagon and drove home. 

Dotty, Amanda and Philip were in the family room when Lee and Jamie finally arrived. Jamie ran in yelling, “That was so awesome, Lee. Thanks for giving me a ride.”

Amanda stood and met Lee at the stairs. She looked at her watch, kissed him on the cheek and asked, “Wrong turn again?”

Lee looked at Amada with his sweet, teasing grin, his dimples on full display and answered, “Something like that.” He kissed her on the nose, winked and continued into the family room. 

“Lee, we were just going to play a game of gin rummy. Do you want to play?” Dotty asked.

“Sure.” 

The next hour you could hear laughs and playful yelling coming from the house as the five occupants enjoyed an evening together. Amanda tried to get her laughing under control, when she stated, “Okay, fellas, it’s time for bed. Let’s get everything cleaned up.” The boys and Amanda started cleaning up the table while Lee and Dotty chatted. 

“Well, Dotty. I have to say, I didn’t peg you for a card shark. You're a pretty mean rummy player.”

“Thank you, Lee.”

Amanda commented from the kitchen. “Lee, you should have seen some of the games between her and Aunt Lillian. We were lucky if there wasn’t any bloodshed.”

Lee looked at Dotty with a raised eyebrow. Dotty shrugged her shoulders and added, “I take my cards very seriously. You should see me play Bridge.” Everyone shared a laugh. “So, you two have big plans this weekend?”

“Oh, I don’t know. If Amanda was free Friday night, I was thinking of a nice quiet dinner. Maybe some dancing.”

“I would love that, sweetheart.”

“Well, that sounds lovely.” 

Jamie came in from the kitchen. “Mom, we’re done putting everything away.”

“Okay, head on upstairs. I’ll be up in just a minute.”

The boys walked over and gave their Grandmother a hug and kiss goodnight. They then moved over to Lee. They both quickly gave Lee a hug and said their goodbyes. Lee was a little shocked by their gesture but very moved. Amanda moved over and put her hands on Lee’s shoulders and asked, “You okay?”

“Ya, I’m fine. I was just shocked with their hug. I liked it, but I’m surprised. You know?”

Amanda just smiled. “I’m going to go check on them. I’ll be right back.” Amanda walked up the stairs and Dotty saw this as her opportunity to get a few answers.

“They really like you.” Dotty started. 

“I really like them too, Dotty. I like all of you. Very much.”

“From what Amanda has told me about you, I’m a little surprised on how well you are handling things.”

Lee looked at her curiously. “What has Amanda told you?”

“Oh, not much. Just that you lost your parents when you were young and really never had a true family life. That you have a huge wall around your heart because of it.”

“Had.”

“Excuse me.”

“Had a huge wall around my heart. That wall fell as soon as your daughter told me she loved me. It actually crumbled into little pieces. I understand I have you to thank for that.”

“Me?” 

“Amanda mentioned that you told her to be honest with her feelings about me.” Dotty nodded. “I have to be honest, if she hadn’t, I don’t know if I ever would have had the guts to tell her. Amanda was right though. That wall was very tall and very thick. When I ran into Amanda at the train station eight months ago, I didn’t know what happened. I couldn’t explain it. I have never felt that way before and it scared me. I was rude, mean and dismissive to her. I would go home and beat myself up for being such an ass to her. Please excuse my language.” Dotty smiled slightly as Lee continued, “I didn’t realize what effect she had on me until one night I was on a date, and I found myself wanting to end the date early. I couldn’t figure out why. When I got home I laid in my bed trying to figure out what was going on. I started to recall if anything happened on one of my dates that would cause this reaction. Then like a lightning bolt it hit me. Ever since I met Amanda, none of my dates…..satisfied me. I would find myself thinking about her all the time. Before I went to bed, the first thing when I woke. The only woman that I wanted to date, to be with, to kiss, was Amanda. I was too scared to tell her. I love your daughter very much, Dotty, with all my heart. I will never do anything on purpose to hurt her or your grandsons. Or you for that matter.”

“I believe you, Lee. What do you want out of this relationship, Lee?”

Lee lightly laughed. “Dotty, if you are asking me what my intentions are with your daughter, then I can only answer one way.” He paused and looked Dotty deep into her eyes. “To love her for the rest of my life. If she’ll have me.”

Dotty placed her hands over Lee’s as her eyes sparkled with joyful tears and her smile reached her ears. 

The End


End file.
